Burgandy
by Ben is Glory
Summary: Buffy Summers is a freshman at NYU. As if freshman year isn't crazy enough, she falls in love with her TA, William. Can their love survive a year filled with loss and pain? AU BS COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters property of Joss. Damn you, Joss, damn you. Just kidding! I love you! Don't sue!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well this is my piece for NaNoWriMo. If you don't know what that is, I pity you, lol. Being that it *is* for NaNo, it will hopefully turn out to be 50,000 words. Yikes! A lot, I know. I'm hoping I make it. Also, this story is up at my NaNo site: , and if you want it ((for some odd reason :P)) then *ask* first. I probably won't turn you down, but ask anyway, kay? Also? Yay for AU fics, haha.

FEEDBACK: Definitamundo. It makes the world go 'round and me want to write more.

***

The plane ride from California to New York was long. Buffy tried to sleep, but her mind was racing. This was it. Today was the day when she would leave home and go off to college. She spent her senior year busting her ass trying to get into a good college. Her dreams came true the day she got a letter in the mail from New York University. _Welcome to NYU!_ it said. Buffy could finally relax; her future was set. She immediately began planning the rest of her life: go to college, major in English, go to grad school, become a famous writer. It all began to unfold in front of her. She didn't plan to find love. 

After what seemed days, the pilot announced they were about to land. Buffy gathered up her things and sat staring out the window. She began to get nervous. _What if I have a terrible roommate?_ she thought frantically. _What if I can't cut it? What if I fail all my classes? What if I get lost and..._ She was interrupted by the plane landing and the pilot talking on the intercom again. 

"We have reached our destination, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to New York! Please begin exiting the aircraft. Thank you, and have a nice day." 

Slowly, she stood and began moving off the plane. She walked to the baggage claim and waited for her luggage. A woman with two little girls fluttered past her. She instantly thought of her mother and sister. 

__

"Buffy?" Dawn called out to her older sister. 

__

"Yeah, Dawn," she replied. 

__

"I want you to have this, you know, before you leave." She handed Buffy a small box. 

__

"What is this?" The older sister hesitantly opened the box. Inside she found a silver chain with a tiny charm attached. It was a small rhinestone studded horseshoe. "Oh, Dawn. This is beautiful. Thank you so much." She moved to hug her little sister. 

Buffy smiled at the day old memory and reached up to her neck where the necklace lay. She played with it for a moment before spotting her suitcase. She managed to drag the bag with her outside to hail a taxi. "Easier said than done," she grumbled. After several minutes of waving and cursing at the cabs that wouldn't stop, her luck changed. 

The ride to campus was quiet. Buffy gazed out the window trying to absorb as much of the city as possible. She had only been to New York once, and that was her trip to look at NYU. From the moment she saw the school, she knew it was where she would spend her college years. Everything was so perfect: the people, the classes, the city. It was everything the young girl was looking for. 

Finally the car pulled up in front of the school, and Buffy paid the driver. "Thank you," she said quietly as she grabbed her belongings and shut the door. She took a deep breath and started toward Stevenson Hall where she would live during freshman year. _Here we go._

Buffy opened the front door to the large building and stepped inside. Her room was number two hundred fourteen, so she figured it must be on the second floor. She walked up the small staircase on her right and immediately heard music. Loud thumping music. Loud thumping Cher music. Buffy automatically cringed. _Please don't be coming from my room. Please don't be my room. And who blasts Cher, anyway?_ She followed the numbers up to her room and was pleasantly surprised when she put her ear to the door and was greeted by silence. She tilted back her head and mouthed "thank you" before opening the door. She poked her head in and found a tall, slender, redheaded girl unpacking. "Hi," Buffy said nervously.

The girl quickly turned around. "Hey," she said shyly. "I'm Willow. Are you…"

"Buffy," she answered.

Willow smiled. "Hi, roomie." Buffy smiled back and entered the room. "I took the left side," said Willow, motioning to the bed on the left side of the room. "I hope that's okay with you. If you want it, we can switch," she added quickly.

"No, that's fine. Really," replied Buffy. She set her suitcase down before plopping onto her bed.

"Tired, huh? Long trip?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah, actually. Where are you from?"

"California."

"Really?" Buffy's eyes widened. "Me too."

Willow grinned at the coincidence. "Maybe that's why we're roomies," she offered as she returned to hanging her clothes in the small closet by her bed.

"Maybe."

She sat down on her bed facing Buffy. "Alright. It's time for the roomie quiz," Willow announced.

Buffy gave her a confused look. "The roomie quiz?"

"Yes. Favorite sappy movie?"

"Okay. Um…" Buffy paused to think. "Steel Magnolias."

"Damn straight," said Willow.

"My turn. Favorite color?" the blonde asked.

"Purple. You?" she shot back.

"Burgandy," answered Buffy.

"Ooh, good choice," Willow commented. "Now for the big question. Boyfriend?"

Buffy's mind swirled back to high school and her one real boyfriend, Riley. He was sweet but boring. Corn fed Iowa boy. He couldn't handle her going to New York for college, thought she would become a "big city girl" and forget about him. So, he did what any normal eighteen year old boy would do; he dumped her. "No," she replied. "What about you?" She smiled playfully and waggled her eyebrows.

Willow couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah. His name is Oz. He goes here, too. You have to meet him." She stood up and fixed her long blue skirt. "Have you picked up your schedule yet?" she asked the petite blonde girl.

"No, not yet," Buffy said, standing up. "We should probably go do that." She picked up her book bag and followed Willow out the door. The girls walked down the steps and out the building. She turned to the redhead. "So, where are we going?"

"Two buildings down, I think. I heard somebody say that's where they were passing out schedules." The two girls continued walking. "What's your major?"

"English. I'm hoping to broaden my horizons as a writer. I'm moving toward writing more than just Dawson's Creek fan fic," Buffy joked.

The other girl laughed. "Good show," she pointed out. "Maybe we'll be in the same class. That would be neat."

"Totally," replied Buffy as they approached a huge mass of college students. "I guess we found where they're handing out schedules," she added sarcastically. "This could take a while."

-TBC-

***

A/n: What'd ya think? Go review!


	2. Beautiful Stranger

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me. And I probably should have mentioned earlier that the title comes from a Common Rotation song. Goooood band, go listen!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Two updates in one day. Heh. That's what NaNo'll do to you. So yes, expect lots of updates, well, on the weekends at least. During the week I'm kind of swamped with school, but I'm going to start chapter two right now. Also? I didn't spell "burgandy" wrong. Well, I guess I did, but I got the title from a CoRo song ((see above)) and that's how they spell it, so.. yeah.

FEEDBACK: ::feedback whore:: Please?

***

An hour and a half later the girls sauntered back to their room. "Well, that was…" Buffy started.

"Pandemonium?" offered Willow.

"Yeah," she agreed, still dazed. In the ninety minutes they were gone, they had gotten pushed, shoved, and nearly trampled in a sea of students, all for a schedule and a school ID. As soon as she opened the door, Buffy flew to her bed and flopped down.

Willow casually strolled in before sitting in a chair by the empty desk at the wall. "So, what do you want to do tonight?" she asked and flashed the blonde a smile.

Buffy groaned. "You're kidding, right?"

"Oh, come on, Buff. First day of classes tomorrow. We need one last… *something* before we succumb to the torture that is freshman year." Willow looked hopefully at Buffy, who lay motionless on her bed. "I know this place…" she started.

The blonde lifted her head to look at her roommate. "What kind of place?"

***

An hour later both girls were primped and ready to leave. Willow was dressed in a long black skirt and a white flowy blouse. Her ruby red hair hung just above her shoulders. Buffy wore tight black leather pants and a crimson corset top. She curled her long honey-blonde hair and added a dark red lipstick to match her shirt.

"So this place," Buffy wondered, "it's cool?"

"The coolest," answered Willow as she reached out to flag down a cab. When one finally stopped, the girls got in, and Willow continued. "There's normally a local band playing. Big dance floor. Good drinks, good food. You'll probably meet a good guy," she joked and elbowed Buffy. She smiled in return.

__

This isn't bad, Buffy thought happily. _You can go, do some dancing, have a quick drink, and then get back to the dorms. First day of classes will be a breeze._

The taxi slowed and came to a stop outside what seemed like a large warehouse. "Uh, Wills?" Buffy started, unsure if they were at the right place.

Willow paid the driver and stepped out. Buffy followed suit. "I know what you're thinking. Just trust me."

Buffy looked up to see the words "The Bronze" spray-painted onto the side of the building. She took a deep breath and walked with the redhead into the club. They were greeted by a dance floor filled with college kids. Willow led her to a table directly off the dance floor.

"I'm gonna get something to drink. You want?"

"Sure," agreed Buffy. Willow turned and walked away leaving Buffy alone at the table. She scanned the dance floor studying the people. Some were recognizable from her brief adventure on campus that afternoon. Nobody in particular caught her eye, and then she saw him. He was standing on the edge of the floor across the room from where Buffy sat. There was a drink in his hand, and he was talking to several other people.

Willow came back with a beer in each hand. "Here ya go," she said handing one Buffy. The blonde girl took a sip, her eyes never leaving the guy from across the room.

"Hey, who's that?" she asked pointing at her newest fixation.

"Who's who?" Willow craned her neck to try to see where Buffy was pointing.

"The guy with the bleached blonde hair."

Willow gave a small shrug. "Don't know." She took a sip of her beer, and noticed Buffy's sudden pout. "I'm sorry. Why don't you go talk to him?"

Buffy took a gulp of her beer. "No. Buffy's not really big with the socializing with complete strangers who just happen to be drop dead gorgeous." Willow grinned. "Maybe after a few more beers," she added quietly.

-TBC-

***

A/n: So? You like? Go review!


	3. Beer Bad

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me. Title comes from a Common Rotation song. Goooood band, go listen!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another update, not much to say. But "creative licensing" just became my new best friend :-D

FEEDBACK: Yes yes yes!

***

An hour and three beers later, Buffy was the life of the party. She had danced with nearly everybody at the Bronze and had long since forgotten any inhibitions she had before. Willow was getting nervous.

"Come on, Buffy," she said gently, trying to coax the blonde out of the club. "Time to go home!"

"No! I don' wanna!" Buffy exclaimed. By now, Willow was practically dragging her to the exit.

"Need some help?" a stranger asked. It was the boy Buffy was admiring earlier.

"Yes!" pleaded Willow. He slung one of Buffy's arms around his shoulder and started to help her walk out.

Buffy smiled at him as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Hee. You're pretty," she slurred drunkenly.

He shot Willow a nervous smile, but she only gave him a tiny shrug. "So, where are we going?" His voice had a thick British accent. Buffy giggled.

"You talk funny," she babbled and lightly slapped his face.

Willow disregarded the last comment and calmly told him, "Stevenson Hall. NYU." Buffy just held her gaze on the man, smiling stupidly.

Amazingly enough, the two had been able to get the drunk girl into a cab without problems. She fell asleep on the way to the school. When the taxi pulled up in front of the campus, Willow paid the driver and the stranger carefully lifted Buffy into his arms and started for the dorms. The redhead soon caught up and led him to their room.

Willow opened the door and let him in. She pointed out which bed was Buffy's and he gently set her down on top of it. He removed her shoes, hoping not to wake her, and tucked her in. The other girl silently mouthed a "thank you" and gave him a grateful look.

"No problem," he answered softly and slipped out the door.

***

Slowly, Buffy began to regain consciousness. She could tell because of the throbbing headache she had. _Oh, man. What a night. I wonder what time it is…_ she pondered as she peeked open her eyes to glance at the clock.

Suddenly, her eyes popped open and she bolted upright. _9:15?_ she thought frantically. _But, how? I had my alarm set, and… how could this happen? Fifteen minutes late on the first fucking day of classes!_ She jumped out of bed and ran around the room, desperately in search of clothes.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" she curse as she pulled a shirt over her head. "Where the hell is Willow?" The question went unanswered by the empty room. Buffy threw on a pair of jeans, stuffed her feet in some sneakers, grabbed her book bag and flew out the door.

The little blonde ran for all she was worth. She rushed through the quad, through one building and into another. As she reached her classroom, she composed herself quickly, then moved to open the door.

"So, this is what I expect for the first semester," explained the professor to the room of students. He was dressed in tweed and spoke with a British accent. _Somebody English is teaching English,_ Buffy joked to herself. _Uh oh, time to get serious. _He glanced at Buffy, who had just stepped in. She tried to read his expression; he seemed upset and a bit surprised. "And you are?" he inquired.

"Buffy. Buffy Summers," she replied quietly.

"Ah, Miss Summers. Nice of you to join us. May I ask why you are twenty minutes late?"

"Faulty alarm clock," she lied.

"How terribly unfortunate. Well, Miss Summers," he continued, "please have a seat. I'm Mr. Giles, and this is English 101."

Buffy flashed him an apologetic smile before hurrying to a seat next to Willow, who gave her a little wave. "Hey Buff," she whispered.

Afraid they'd be in for another lecture from Mr. Giles, Buffy ripped out a piece of paper from her notebook and scribbled furiously. _Why didn't you wake me up this morning?_ read the note. She shoved it at Willow.

The redhead wrote back: _I tried! The alarm went off, and I shook you and yelled at you, but you wouldn't get up! So, I didn't know what to do, and I left. I'm sorry! Forgive me?_

As Buffy read the note, her anger faded away. _Yeah, I guess._ she wrote back. _How out of it *was* I last night?_

Willow let out a small laugh. At that moment, the door opened and someone stepped in the room. Buffy let out a sigh of relief knowing that she wasn't the only person late on the first day of classes. That relief soon turned to mortification.

Into the classroom strolled the stranger from the Bronze. The one Buffy had been admiring all night, and the same one that had taken Buffy home. Horrified, Buffy ducked her head.

"Class!" began Mr. Giles. "This is my teaching assistant, William Walthrop. He will be helping me teach the class throughout the year."

Buffy groaned. _*This* is going to be fun,_ she thought sarcastically.

***

A/n: Good? Bad? Review!


	4. Shadow

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me. Title comes from a Common Rotation song. Goooood band, go listen!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here's more! Thank you SO much for all the reviews. I 333 them. Just remember, we're only getting started, baby! xD

FEEDBACK: Now! I command you! ;p

***

Buffy kept her head down for the entirety of the ninety minute lecture. If she looked up at all, it was to copy a few notes off the blackboard. When she was feeling particularly daring, Buffy would sneak a peek at William. He caught her looking once, so she refused to tear her eyes away from her notebook for the rest of class.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Mr. Giles finally concluded his lecture, and the students gathered up their things and stood up to leave. Willow began standing, but Buffy grabbed her arm and pulled her back down in her seat. "Do you see that?" she whispered. "That's the guy from the Bronze!"

"Yeah," Willow agreed nervously. "How 'bout that." She avoided making eye contact with Buffy, afraid the blonde would find out just how well she actually knew William.

"What am I going to do?" Buffy asked, her eyes wide in desperation.

Willow took a deep breath. "Just relax, and walk out the door."

It sounded easy enough, so Buffy picked up her bag and walked toward the door, only to be stopped by William.

"Hey," he said as he stepped in front of her. "Didn't I see you at the Bronze last night?"

Buffy could feel her face getting hot. "Um, maybe," she answered, looking down at the ground shyly.

William smirked, but Willow shot him an angry look. She pulled on the blonde's arm and led her out of the classroom.

"Sorry!" he called out after them, but he was almost positive they hadn't heard him. "Wow," he started, turning toward Mr. Giles, "I guess I blew that one."

"Nonsense. She's just a student," he replied.

"Right," William agreed. "Just a student."

***

Buffy left the classroom and hurried straight back to her room with Willow close behind. "Buff! It's not that bad!" she yelled to her roommate.

"Not that bad? *Not* that *bad*?" Buffy demanded as she swung around to face Willow. "Only the most gorgeous man I've ever seen thinks I'm an idiot. No, you're right. That's no big deal." She opened the door and stormed into her room.

"Well," Willow began as she closed the door, "it's kind of more than that."

Buffy looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember anything from last night?"

"Only that I saw him, and proceeded to have way too much to drink."

"Yeah, that all happened. But, there's also one part you're missing."

"What, Wills? What am I missing?"

Willow hid her face behind her hands. "The part where Will helped me take you home, and the part where you kind of, sort of… hit on him." She slowly took her hands away from her face to see Buffy's reaction.

For a minute, Buffy sat on her bed completely motionless. Then she started to laugh.

"Did I miss something?" questioned Willow.

"It's just so funny," she managed in between fits of giggles. "Everything that could have possibly gone wrong, has. So, this must be karma."

"Buffy, it's not that bad. Really. He was just being a jerk today, that's all."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, if he's a jerk, then maybe I won't like him so much," she lied. Her gaze turned and focused on the clock. "Wills, it's almost eleven. Don't you have class?"

"Yeah, you're right. Are you gonna be okay?" She was genuinely concerned about her friend.

"I'll be fine. English was my only class today, so I'm going to take the day to get settled in."

Willow smiled. "Sounds good. I'll see you around one? We'll have lunch."

"It's a date," stated Buffy.

***

Around five o'clock that evening the phone rang. "I get it," Willow said to Buffy, already reaching for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello. May I speak to Buffy?" the woman on the other line asked.

"Sure. Hang on one second," answered Willow. "It's for you," she told Buffy and handed her the phone."

The other girl took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Buffy."

"Oh, hey, Mom."

"How was the first day of classes?" wondered her mother.

"Oh, um… they were fine," she said nervously.

"And you're adjusting okay?"

"Yes, Mom. I'm fine. No worries." She could hear her sister ask if "she could talk now" in the background, and Buffy couldn't help but smile. _Just like Dawn,_ she thought.

"Well, I think Dawn wants to speak with you before her head explodes."

"All right. I'll talk to you soon, Mom. Love you."

"I love you too, sweetie. I'll call you soon." She handed the phone over to her youngest daughter, who grabbed it eagerly.

"Hi, Buffy!" she screeched into the phone as she ran up the stairs to her room.

"Hey, Dawnie. What's up?"

"Nothing much. How's college? Been to any parties yet?"

"Dawn… it's the first day of school."

"I know, but it's college," she pointed out. Dawn thought she was the expert on everything having to do with college life. When Buffy was just starting her senior year, Dawn would give her weekly talks about the do's and don'ts of the upcoming years in her life. Buffy could've sworn there was one rule about beer and the first day of school. _Who knew a twelve year old could predict the future?_ she thought.

"Well, nothing you need to be hearing about," she teased.

"Oh, Buffy! Tell me!"

"No. Not now. So… how's home?" She tried to change the subject hoping Dawn would let the party thing go.

"Amazingly normal. Except," the younger teen stopped and closed her door. She lowered her voice. "Mom's been having headaches."

"What do you mean?"

"She's been complaining a lot about how her head hurts. It's getting worse, Buffy." Dawn sounded worried.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious." Buffy had to be strong, even if she was terrified something was wrong with her mother.

"Yeah, I hope so," agreed Dawn.

"Look, Dawnie, I have to go. You hang in there, okay? I'll talk to you soon."

"'Kay. Love ya."

"Love you, too," replied Buffy. "Bye."

"Bye, Buff."

She stared at the phone for a second before hanging it up. _Hang in there._

-TBC-

***

A/n: What do you think? Review!


	5. This Time Around

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me. And I probably should have mentioned earlier that the title comes from a Common Rotation song. Goooood band, go listen!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not as much of an update as I would've like, but I've been lazy and more into reading fic than writing it. That will change. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up tonight. Yay.

FEEDBACK: Mmmhmm. :)

***

"Buffy! We have to go out," encouraged Willow, but her roommate just gave her a blank stare. "It's Friday night! It's been three whole days since that episode at the Bronze, and I can't sit around here and watch you mope for one more second."

Buffy considered what her friend was saying. It was true; they hadn't done anything for the past three days. Luckily, she hadn't seen Will either. "I guess it's safe to go out. I mean… what are the chances of seeing him at the Bronze, right?" she asked nervously.

Willow let out a huge sigh. "Yes. Thank you. And if we *do* happen to see him…"

"I'll hide under the table until he leaves," Buffy cut in. The redhead shot her a look and Buffy smiled. "Just kidding." _I hope,_ she thought wearily.

"Good," Willow matter-of-factly stated. "Now hurry up and get dressed. It's almost eight." She watched the blonde move to her closet and pick out a simple top and jeans. Buffy quickly put them on and looked to Willow.

"Am I good?"

"You're good," Wills told her. "Now let's get going before we miss the good bands."

The two girls rushed through the hall and down the stairs.

***

Thirty minutes later, Buffy and Willow sat at a table off the dance floor of the Bronze. Willow was sipping a mixed drink, while Buffy had a Coke. _Better play it safe tonight,_ she had told herself. So far there was no sign of William.

"Do you think he'll come?" Buffy asked her friend.

"Who?" Willow wondered, teasing the other girl. "Oh, you mean Mr. Wonderful? I don't know. I thought after he was a jerk, you were going to forget about him." She glanced at Buffy and automatically knew that would never happen. "Yeah, didn't think so."

Buffy glared at her. "I'm trying, okay? And I haven't seen him since class on Wednesday, which gives me a full twelve hours to figure out what I'm going to say to him in class tomorrow." She noticed that Willow's gaze was focused behind her. "What?" a confused Buffy asked beginning to turn her head.

"Um… I don't think you have twelve hours." Willow was referring to the fact that Will was conveniently on his way over to the girl's table.

"Oh shit!" Buffy panicked. "What am I going to say to him?"

"Not sure. But this is my cue to exit," Willow said picking up her drink and walking toward a table with some of the people from her dorm.

_Damn it, Willow,_ Buffy cursed in her head. Her mind was racing, and she could feel her mouth go dry.

_Calm down, you whelp!_ Will thought to himself. _Just go and talk to her. _He was as nervous as she was, probably more. What Giles had said to him the other day kept repeating in his head. "_She's just a student." Oh, bugger it._

"Uh… hi," he started as he approached the table. Her eyes were down, and slowly they raised to look at him. "Can I sit down?" he asked tentatively.

"Yeah, sure," she said nervously and returned her gaze to her Coke.

"I'm… I'm Will."

"I know who you are," she answered coldly. "I'm Buffy."

"Hey, Buffy." He gave her a warm smile hoping it would relax both of them. Instantly she felt bad about being so rude.

"I'm sorry. It's just…"

"No, it's my fault," he stopped her. "I shouldn't have been such an idiot the other day. I know what it's like when you get smashed and act stupid."

"You know what that's like," she added incredulously.

"It's why I'm here," he claimed. "Well… not really. I came to ask you something."

The nervousness that had slowly faded away suddenly began to choke Buffy again. "Something to… ask me?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"I was wondering if you want to get some coffee with me tomorrow after class. It's the least I can do after being such a git to you."

Buffy could feel her face flush. "I'd… I'd really like that," she told him, a smile slowly forming.

He returned her smile with his own. "Great. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Okay," she responded. "See you then."

Will stood and turned to leave, his black duster billowing behind him. Buffy watched him leave the club before turning around to find Willow grinning excitedly at her.

"How'd it go?" she demanded. "I want details!"

Buffy had turned into the giggly schoolgirl. "He asked me out! Well, sort of."

"No way! When are you guys going out?"  
"Tomorrow. He wants to take me to coffee after class."  
"Oh, Buffy!" she squealed as she pulled the girl in for a hug. "I'm so happy for you."

Buffy couldn't stop smiling. It seemed like her luck was changing, and she couldn't be more ecstatic.

-TBC-

***

A/n: Comments? Questions? Go review!


	6. Coffee Date

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me. And I probably should have mentioned earlier that the title comes from a Common Rotation song. Goooood band, go listen!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I reallyreallyreally wished I had worked more on this this weekend, but no. Oh well, I'm gonna work like a mofo today in between studying for spanish. Enjoy!

FEEDBACK: Nooooow. Please?

***

Mr. Giles' lecture seemed to drag on for hours. Buffy was about to burst with anxiety by the time he had finished talking. She had been in writing class all morning, which only fueled her fear about her after-class date with Will. She occasionally averted her gaze from the professor to look over at him. He was sitting to the right of the desk at the front of the room. Buffy had caught him staring at her several times. She let her heart skip a beat before returning her attention to the class.

Around noon, Mr. Giles turned the class over to William, who gave out the homework assignment and requirements for the next class. "That'll do it for today. See you next class," he ended. Buffy took her time putting her books and pens away in her bag. She waited until almost everybody had left the room, stood, and walked to the front of the classroom to Will.

"Good class," she told him. "The last couple of minutes was a revelation," she joked.

"Really. You'll be excited about the next class, then. I actually get to open by saying, 'Hello. How was your week?'" He smiled and she let out a small laugh. "So, are you ready to go?" he asked looking to her to see whether it was all right to start their date.

"Yeah," she gave him approval. "Let's get out of here." The two walked out the door leaving Mr. Giles alone in the room. He shook his head. _College boys in love,_ he thought as he gathered up his things.

***

Buffy and Will strolled through the campus on their way to coffee. "Well, Buffy," he began.

"Yes, Will," she replied playfully.

"Where are you from?"

"California."

He looked at her and grinned. "Oh, a west coast bird."

"So you've heard of us?"

"Maybe once or twice."

"What about you? Where do you call home?" she asked lifting up her head to look at him.

"I grew up in London. Moved to New York after university and been teaching here ever since."

"Do you miss England?" wondered the little blonde.

"Not the weather," he chuckled. "Nah… it's just, different. You can't really compare the two."

Buffy pretended to understand and nodded. Will turned right when they got to the sidewalk that lead off campus. "The Starbucks is just two blocks down," he informed her.

"Well, William. Who did you leave behind in England? Family-wise," she clarified.

"My mum and da live there. That's mostly it. No tiny tots running around at home," he told her. "And you? Who's back in California? Any brothers or sisters?"

Buffy let her hand drift up to touch her necklace. "My mom and sister, Dawn. She's twelve and thinks she knows everything about college. She tried to stowaway in my suitcase before I left."

"Is your father in California, too?" he asked innocently.

She immediately got very quiet. Buffy's father had bailed on their family when she was fifteen. She could still remember the day she had come home to find her mother and sister crying perfectly as though it were yesterday.

_"Hey, Mom!" Buffy called as she opened her front door. School had just let out for spring break, and she was beyond excited. Her family had been planning a trip to the beach: a week of fun in the sun, relaxing, and forgetting about school._

The second Buffy walked into the house, she could tell something was wrong. She closed the door and walked into the empty kitchen. "Dawn? Mom?" She turned around, went back to the entry hall and ran up the stairs. She moved down the hall and stood on the outside of Dawn's closed door.

"Shh, Dawn. It's all right, baby. It's going to be okay," her mother soothed the nine year old. Buffy could hear her sister sobbing in her room. It sounded like her mother was crying, too.

The older daughter slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door carefully. Her eyes welled with tears threatening to leak out; she was terrified of whatever was making her mother and sister so upset.

"Oh, Buffy. You're home," her mother sniffled.

"What's wrong?" Buffy demanded. The tears began to flow. "What happened?" she asked frantically.

The older woman didn't say anything, just handed her a piece of paper. It was a note from her father.

"Joyce, Buffy, and Dawn: I have to go. No time for explanations. -Hank"

Buffy let out a sob that wracked her entire body. "He didn't even say he loved us," she whispered, collapsing on the bed. Her mother hugged her, and Buffy reached out to Dawn. The three sat without moving for hours.

"Oh, um…" She tried to find her voice.

Will could tell something wasn't right. "I'm sorry, did I…"

"No," she interrupted. "It's okay. He's in L.A. now. He took off when I was fifteen."

"I'm sorry," he offered, unsure of what to say.

"It's fine," she insisted. She stopped and looked up at the round Starbucks symbol on the front of a building. "I think we're here," she said, desperately trying to change the subject.

"After you." He opened the door and motioned for her to enter.

"Thank you," she replied shyly as she went into the café. The couple approached the front counter, and a short brunette greeted them.

"Hi. What can I get for you guys today?" she asked. Her voice had a very recognizable New York accent, the kind that comes with living in the city your whole life.

Buffy ordered a frappuccino. The girl behind the counter looked expectantly at Will. "I'll have hot chocolate," he told her. Buffy's eyes widened, and a smile crept across her face. "Caffeine makes me jittery."

"Sure," she teased.

"That'll be $6.95, please," said the girl.

Buffy reached for her purse but Will stopped her. "No, no, no. I invited you, and I'm paying."

"But…" she protested.

"No. I pay," he declared.

"Fine," she gave up. "Such a guy," she whispered under her breath.

Will took out his money and paid the cashier, then he turned to Buffy. "What was that?"

"Nothing," she told him and stared at the ceiling.

"Right." He grabbed their drinks and led Buffy to a table at the back of the room. Will set down the refreshments and pulled out Buffy's chair for her.

"And they say romance is dead," she claimed.

Will smiled and moved to his seat across from her. He took a sip of his hot chocolate. "Bollocks!" he cursed.

Buffy gave him a confused look. "What?"

"Burned my tongue," he said sheepishly.

Buffy let out a loud laugh and clamped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry," she managed through the fit of giggles. His face started to flush, and Buffy could tell he was embarrassed. She tried to regain composure.

He waited until she was quiet again and asked a question. "Have you ever been to New York?"

She shook her head. "Only to see the campus, and that took up the whole day I was here."

"Well, I guess I'll have to be your tour guide then."

"That'd be nice," she answered smiling. _Seeing New York with the most gorgeous man on the planet? I think I'm going to like it here._

-TBC-

***

A/n: And? Review!


	7. Chinese Takeout

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me. And I probably should have mentioned earlier that the title comes from a Common Rotation song. Goooood band, go listen!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! Seriously, yo. I'm a sucker for angst, and if you are too, you'll appreciate my ending. I hope I won't piss anyone off. I've gotta make it worth the wait, man! 3

FEEDBACK: I lurve it.

***

When Buffy walked into her dorm room, she found Willow sitting at her desk typing something on the computer. The busy girl immediately stopped and looked at her roomie. "So?" she asked excitedly. "How was coffee? Was it nice? I bet it was nice."

"It was!" Buffy gushed as she shut the door. She threw herself on the bed and turned to face Willow.

"Did anything happen? I need my vicarious smoochies!"

"No, nothing happened," Buffy told her. "Just talking. And laughing. And coffee."

"Well, that's not so bad."

"He offered to show me the city," she added.

Willow's eyes widened. "That's so romantic."

Buffy smiled. "I know. He's really sweet." She glanced at her watch. "It's after two. I better call Dawn. She'll flip when she hears this."

"You're right. I have class at three, and I have to finish this assignment. But you *will* give me all the details later."

"Promise," Buffy swore. She leaned over to pick up the phone from where it lay on the nightstand. She dialed her house and waited while it rang. It took two rings for Dawn to answer.

"Hello?" the younger sister panted.

"Hey, Dawnie. You okay?" asked Buffy.

"Oh, hi. Yeah, I just ran to get the phone. We need more of these things, you know."

"Guess what."

"Um…" Dawn thought hard. "You're calling from jail, and you need five thousand dollars for bail? Am I close?"

"Try again," she told her sister shaking her head. _Where does she come up with this stuff?_ she thought. _Only Dawn._

"I don't know. What?"

"I went on a date," Buffy told her.

"Really?" Dawn squealed. "Wait… isn't this only the first weekend of school? You slut," she teased.

"Dawn!" Buffy yelled.

"I'm just kidding, Buff. Calm down. Who's the lucky guy?"

She was still upset, but Buffy continued her story. "His name is Will. He's the T.A. of my English class." Dawn snickered at the cliché. "But he's sweet! A real hottie, too."

"Now you're talking!" said Dawn, and Buffy laughed.

"I knew that'd get your attention," confessed Buffy. "He offered to show me around New York."

"Just make sure he's not a pimp," she joked. "Because you hear horror stories…"

"Very funny, Dawnie. Oh," she let her voice drop, "how's Mom?"

"She's good. At the gallery right now. They're having some important exhibit thing next week, and everybody has to work overtime to get ready for it."

"And you're okay by yourself?"  
"Yes, the twelve year old is fine by herself in her locked house. Plus, Janice is coming over soon."

"All right, well I've got to go. I'll call you soon. Love you, Dawn," she assured her little sister.

"You too. Bye," Dawn said.

"Bye," she replied and hung up the phone. Willow had left during their short conversation, so Buffy had the room to herself. _Might as well get some work done,_ she thought. _At least while the room is quiet._

***

"Do you like this one?" Willow asked.

Buffy lifted her head from the book she was reading on her bed and looked at Willow. She was holding up a long jean skirt and a purple top. "That's good," she told the redhead.

"You think so? It's not too…"

"It's perfect," Buffy reassured her.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Buff? All you've done since you came home from coffee is stay cooped up in this room studying. I'm worried about your brain."

Buffy managed a grin. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. You and Oz have a nice time at dinner. You better hurry, Wills. It's seven thirty."

"Damn," she said, sounding defeated. She pulled on the skirt and shirt quickly and did a quick make-up check. When she was finished, she spun around to Buffy. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful, dahlink," Buffy said in her best Catherine Hepburn impression. "Simply stunning."

"Yay!" Willow cheered and gave a little clap. She grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

"Have fun! Don't stay out too late!" called Buffy.

"Okay, Mom!" she replied as she shut the door.

Buffy picked her book back up and resumed reading. About a half an hour later around eight there was a knock at her door. _Willow couldn't have come back *this* early,_ she thought. _So who the hell is that?_ She stood up and threw her book on her bed before walking to the door. She opened it, and her jaw nearly scraped the floor in shock.

"Hey," Will said standing in the doorway. He was holding mass quantities of Chinese food.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, still stunned.

"Can I come? This stuff's kinda heavy." He struggled to keep it all in his grasp.

"Oh! Of course," she told him as she moved to let him in. He walked into the room and set the food down on Buffy's desk.

"Well," he began as he opened a few of the containers, "the first thing you have to learn about the big city is that it's famous for its Chinese."

"And you got this all for me? For us?" she wondered.

"Uh… yeah," answered Will. Buffy blushed. She had never had a guy go out of his way to spend time with her before, and she was loving it. "Got practically every sodding thing on the menu, so there has to be something here you like."

"Thank you," she said, a small smile creeping across her face.

He looked down. "It's really no big deal." She looked deep into his crystal blue eyes and moved closer to him so there were only a few inches between their bodies. They both leaned in for a kiss, but were interrupted by a sudden loud thumping.

"Oh my God," Buffy said, furious that her perfect kiss was ruined.

"What the bleeding hell is that?" Will asked.

She just nodded in a very pissed off manner. Buffy knew exactly what it was. _Karma._ "Cher," she grumbled.

-TBC-

***

A/n: Please don't hate me! I gotta make the first kiss memorable and worth the wait ;p And I've got *just* the thing in mind…


	8. Shaky

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters do not belong to me. And I probably should have mentioned earlier that the title comes from a Common Rotation song. Goooood band, go listen!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: No note. Well, that's a lie. It's just at the end of the chapter.

FEEDBACK: I lurve it.

***

It was after one AM, and Willow still hadn't come home from her date with Oz. Buffy and Will were sprawled out on the floor watching TV and making fun of the stupid infomercials.

"I still think the psychic ones are the best," Buffy claimed.

"Over Richard Simmons' Greatest Hits? I think not," Will laughed. He stood up and began doing jumping jacks and mock aerobicize moves. "I feel beautiful!" he screamed. Buffy rolled over on her back, lost in a fit of giggles. "Bloody hell," he said looking at his watch when they had finally calmed down. "I'm having breakfast with Giles in seven hours. I better get going."

Buffy looked up at him from where she was on the floor, her laughter dying away. "Okay. Willow should be home soon, too."

"Promise me something?" he asked. "Don't make any plans for tonight. I'm going to take you somewhere special."

"Where?" wondered the curious girl.

"It's a surprise. I'll call you this afternoon to let you know when I'm picking you up. Other than that, you can't know anything."

She pouted. "Not fair. I hate surprises."

Will grinned. "Well, you're going to love this one. See ya later." He grabbed his coat from Buffy's bed and breezed out the door.

Buffy let out a huge sigh, wishing every night could be as magical as this one. _I guess we'll have to wait and see,_ she thought as she yawned. _In the meantime, I might as well sleep, and dream about Will!_

***

_Careful! Careful!_ thought Willow, who was trying her best to silently creep into her room without waking Buffy. Just when she thought she had succeeded, the blonde's head popped up from the pillow.

"Willow," she said. "Out all night, huh? And coming in at nine in the morning? What did I tell you?" Buffy teased.

"Hey, Buff," the redhead greeted her.

"Morning. How'd it go last night? I'm guess pretty damn good seeing as you've been gone for thirteen hours."

"Yeah," Willow replied shyly. "Real good. How 'bout you? How was your exciting night filled with Shakespeare and… that other guy?" she joked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she responded sarcastically.

This merited a confused look from Wills. "What do you mean."

"Well, a few minutes after you left, Will came over with Chinese food for us to eat. He stayed, and we watched TV for forever. He had to leave though," she continued, feeding off of Willow's shocked expression, "because his wife called wondering where he was."

It took a second for the other girl to realize she was kidding. Willow glared. "Not. Funny."

Buffy had already burst out laughing. "Oh, it was. You should've seen your face!"

"So, you made the whole thing up," she assumed.

"That's the best part: no. Well, yeah, the thing about the wife." Buffy smiled. "But everything else is true. And he's going to call me later to tell me what time he's picking me up for our date. Tonight!"

"No way," asserted Willow.

"Way."

"You know I'll never be able to trust you again."

"But it was SO worth it," Buffy told her.

Willow's stomach growled, and Buffy snickered. "Hungry?"

"Maybe just a little," said Willow.

"Up for breakfast?" she asked, already getting out of bed and searching for clothes.

"Definitely."

***

After breakfast, the girls spent the day shopping in all of the neat little shops around the city. Buffy's cell phone rang around three.

"Hello?" she answered as she sifted through a dress rack in one of the small shops she and Willow had stopped in.

"Hello, luv," said the voice on the other line.

Buffy turned to Willow and mouthed "it's him." Her friend just smiled. "Hey, Will. How was breakfast this morning?"

"Dull as usual," he replied. "Which is why I'm calling you."

"Aww," she replied.

"Thought you might like that line," he kidded.

"Ha ha. Very funny. What did you want again?" she played along.

"Just to tell you I'll be by your room at seven sharp."

"Sounds good. See ya then."

"Bye, pet."

"Bye." She clicked the phone off and shot Willow a look. "Too dreamy," she sighed.

***

"So, you think the new peasant top?" Buffy asked her roommate, trying to decide what to wear on her big date with Will.

"Definitely the peasant top. And here," Willow said getting off her bed and rummaging through her closet. "Take this." She handed Buffy her long jean skirt.

"Perfect!" The blonde slipped on the top and skirt. "What should I do with my hair? Willow! I need help!" she whined.

"Don't worry, just brush. You blow-dried it straight, so comb it out. And put one of these," she moved to her desk and grabbed a small butterfly barrette, "in on the side. There," said Willow as she placed the clip above Buffy's left ear. "Beautiful."

"Thank you so much, Wills," Buffy said gratefully. "What would I do without you?" She looked in the mirror to make sure her make-up was still fresh. "Time check?"

"Six fifty-nine. Calm down!" Willow chided.

Buffy lifted up her hand. "Look!" she told her roommate. "I'm shaking. I *don't* shake. I'm very not shaky."

"You're just nervous. You're going out with a fabulous guy, and you're having a slight case of the whiggins. No big. He obviously likes you, Buff. The pressure is off."

Buffy shot her an incredulous look. "Yeah, right. The second you think you're safe, boom! Out of nowhere comes this huge big thing, and you don't know how to deal until it's way too late, and by then, Will probably won't like me anymore so how can I possibly calm down?"

"Buffy, you're babbling. Stop it!"

A short knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "Well?" Willow asked her. "Go answer it, ya doof!"

Buffy smiled at her and moved to answer the door.

"You look stunning," Will greeted her.

"You don't look too bad yourself." He was wearing a pair of khakis with a black shirt and his trademark duster.

"All ready to go?" he asked.

"Yep, I think so."

"Buffy!" Willow whispered, handing the blonde her purse.

"Oh! Thanks, Wills." Buffy thanked her roommate and followed Will out the door.

"Um…" he began when the couple got out of the building, "I'm going to have to get you to put this on." He handed her a black blindfold, but she gave him a weird look.

"Are you serious?"

"Just do it. For me?" He gave her big puppy eyes. "Please?"

Her heart melted, and she reluctantly put on the blindfold. "Don't let me fall," she warned him.

"Don't worry," Will told her. "Just trust me."

_That's what I'm afraid to do**, **_Buffy thought. He took her arm and led her slowly down a path out to the street. He hailed a cab and gently helped her in the car. She could feel him hold his hands over her ears as he gave the driver directions.

"Ellis Island, please," he said and took his hands away from Buffy's face.

"When can I take this thing off?" Buffy asked, getting agitated with the piece of cloth.

"Not 'til I say it's okay. This is supposed to be a surprise, remember?"

"Yeah yeah. Surprise," she mumbled. "Have I mentioned how much I hate surprises? Blindfolded surprises in particular."

"Might have let it slip once or twice. But I promise, this one will be worth it." He lifted up her hand and gave it a small kiss.

Buffy smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. The rest of the drive was spent in a comfortable silence; both Buffy and Will were trying to savor the moments as they passed. Finally, the car began to slow and stop. Will handed the driver money for the fare. "Thanks, mate," he said as he opened his door.

"Can I take off the blindfold?" whined Buffy.

"Not yet. Soon," he replied. He took her hand and helped her out of the taxi. "Step up," instructed Will, helping her up onto the curb. He led her into a building and then on an elevator.

"Um… how far up are we going?" she asked nervously.

"You'll see in a minute." That's all the information he would give her. A few seconds later, she heard the ding of the elevator as it reached the top floor. Will led her to a window and told her, "All right. You can take off the blindfold."

Buffy lifted her hands up to remove the blindfold from her face. She was instantly thrown into a state of shock once it was off. "Oh my God," she managed. "It's beautiful."

She and Will were standing at the top of the Statue of Liberty, looking out at the entire city of New York. Buildings sparkled with lights, and Buffy could see marquees dancing in the distance. She began to feel her eyes well with tears.

"Thank you. Thank you," she choked out. "This is amazing."

As if the night could get any better, Will pulled her body against his, pressed his lips against hers, and the couple shared their very first kiss.

_This is one for the storybooks._

***

A/n: Well, I found out that the Statue of Liberty is closed due to September 11th. Hmph. You'll get over it. In my story, for all I know, 9/11 never happened in AU Buffyverse. So, please note that. Thank ya muchly! Review :-D I love you!


	9. Effulgent

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters would be Mr. Whedon's. So is the poem. Title is CoRo's. The little song is whoever wrote Bring It On. You see, I own nothing. Nothing, I tell you!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you think I was dead? Well, I've definitely exhibited some dead-like qualities lately. I'm sorry for the long wait. With midterms and all, life was crazy. Now that it's Christmas break, I'll be able to get work done. How thrilling. I hope you haven't abandoned me on this exciting little journey that we're just starting. Wee xD Also? This if for Lauren, who's been telling me to write.

FEEDBACK: I need it like things I need a lot.

***

A month had gone by, and it had been the best month of Buffy's life. She and Will had become inseparable. Whenever she wasn't attending class or doing homework, she was always with him. He never ceased to amaze her, and he was always coming up with new little surprises to impress her. Will was the most amazing person she had ever met.

One night, Willow decided to take Buffy out for a girl's only night. Both girls had been very wrapped up in their boyfriends, and Willow thought they could use a fun bonding activity.

"So, what did you have in mind?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Movie? Ice cream? Sound good to you?" suggested the redhead.

"I'm in!"

The roommates hurried over to the video store. "Now… all we have to figure out is what movie we want. What are you up for?" Willow wondered.

"Something fun. No tearjerkers, thank you," responded Buffy.

"I agree, so…" The other girl browsed the racks of movies. She stopped and picked up a tape, giggling. "What do you think?" she questioned as she held up the video.

Buffy's face lit up immediately, and a smile spread across her face. "Perfect!"

A short trip to the grocery store to get ice cream, and the girls were back on their way home. Willow glanced at her friend and began sheepishly, "You know, Buff, I've really missed you these past couple of weeks."

The blonde was a bit shocked, but she hid her puzzled expression. "I'm sorry, Wills. I've missed you, too."

"I'm glad we're doing this movie thing tonight."

"So am I," Buffy said as she slipped her arm over Willow's shoulder to pull her into a quick hug. The pair kept walking to their dorm.

***

Fifteen minutes later, Buffy and Willow were back in their room. Willow was busy getting the ice cream ready, and Buffy popped the video into the VCR. The movie began playing, and the blonde started jumping around the room and singing.

"I'm sexy. I'm cute. I'm popular to boot," she echoed from the film.

Willow laughed and decided to join in. "I'm bitchin', great hair. The boys all love to stare!"

"I want it. I'm hot. I'm everything you're not!" said Buffy as she ran her hands down her body.

"I'm pretty. I'm cool. I dominate the school." countered Wills.

"Who am I? Just guess. Guys wanna touch my chest."

"I'm rockin'. I smile. And many think I'm vile."

"I'm flyin'. I jump. You can look, but don't you hump!"

"I'm major. I roar. I swear I'm not a whore!" sang the redhead, giving her most innocent look.

Both girls finished the song together. "We cheer and we lead. We act like we're on speed. Hate us cause we're beautiful, well we don't like you either! We're cheerleaders. We are cheerleaders. Uh huh!" Buffy and Willow collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles.

"Now _that_ was fun," declared the blonde.

***

Ninety minutes and one carton of double fudge brownie ice cream later, the roommates were still wired. Willow glanced at the clock. "Uck," she said in disgust. "It's almost midnight. Damn eight o'clock classes. We better sleep."

Buffy made her pouty-face, but reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, you're right. Somehow I don't think Giles would love the idea of a sleeping me while discussing seventeenth century literature tomorrow." She climbed up onto her bed from her place on the floor, and began to pull the covers back on her bed. Tucked neatly on top of her pillow was a small piece of folded paper. "What's this?" she asked her roommate.

"Don't know. Let's find out."

Buffy grabbed the note and unfolded it carefully. A poem, written in beautiful cursive, graced the page. Her eyes carefully read, and she melted. It read: _My heart expands, tis grown a bulge in it; inspired by your beauty, effulgent. --William Walthrop. _She could feel tears well, and passed the piece of paper to her friend. "I have to call him," Buffy declared.

"Um… it's kind of late, Buff," Willow pointed out.

"I don't care. I have to let him know." She picked up the phone and dialed Will's number quickly. One ring. Two rings. She began to get nervous, but as per usual, he answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" answered the groggy voice.

"William," she greeted him warmly.

"Buffy," he said with surprise, his voice lightening. "Hey. I'm guessing you got my note."

"I loved it."

He let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. I was afraid you'd hate it."

"I…" she hesitated, her voice shrinking. "I love you," she said timidly. She could almost hear him smile through the telephone.

"I love you, too," he managed, overcome with joy. "Listen, our anniversary's on Saturday, and I was wondering if you want to go out to dinner."

"Absolutely. I can't wait."

"Great. I'll see you in class tomorrow, then? Get some sleep."

"Okay, Mom," she joked.

"See you tomorrow, pet. Night," Will added.

"Bye." Buffy placed the phone back on the receiver and glanced at her best friend. Willow had a huge smile plastered to her face.

"You guys are so cute," she commented.

***

After what seemed like the longest week in recorded history, it was finally Saturday, and Buffy was ready to explode with anticipation of her anniversary date. Will was picking her up at seven, and she had begun her nervous pacing around four.

"Buff, you really need to stop," Willow advised. "You're going to put holes in our carpet," she joked.

The blonde nervously glanced at her watch. Six forty-five. _Fifteen minutes. Okay, you can do this, Buffy._ she told herself. "How do I look?"

"For the millionth time, you look amazing." Willow helped her pick out the perfect anniversary outfit. Buffy was dressed in a black lacy skirt and a white top. Her hair was curled loosely, and her lips were extra glossy. She was all fixed up to have the best night of her life, and all she wanted to do was crawl up in Will's arms and stay there forever.

Suddenly, the ring of the telephone pierced the air, and Buffy was brought rocketing back out of her daydream. Buffy picked up the phone and chirped a "hello," wondering if it was Will.

"Buffy!" a strangled scream came from the other end of the phone line.

"Dawn! What's wrong?"

-TBC-

***

A/n: And *now* kiddies, our story begins. Also? ::shameless plug:: If you're a Spuffy shipper ((which I'm guessing all of you are)), go check out my latest Spuffy story, Bent. Review because it makes me smile, eh?


	10. The Body

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: BtVS and practically everything else on God's green earth is Joss's. Except for the title, that's CoRo's. Wait! The plot's mine! Bwahaha. For the most part, anyway ;p

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Um… yeah. Some people guessed where I was going with my story. Not completely, mind you, but I 'spose this was a bit predictable. I still love it though! Almost as much as I love the end of Forever, from which some of this chappy is inspired. Also? Angst is good. Also also? MISS AMNA YOU IS IN MY STORY! XD ha… I thought you might like that, girlie. I heart you! Okay, enough of my rambling. Go read, eh?

FEEDBACK: Don't make me whip out the sassy eggs! ((Yeesh, too much Forever)) Gimme feedback!

NOMINATED: Burgandy is nominated at the Vampire's Kiss Awards! WEE! Exciting.

***

"But…" Buffy started. "I just don't understand." Her tears were flowing uncontrollably now. "You're lying. This is just a fucking joke. Tell me you're joking, Dawn!" Her younger sister's sobs were the only response she got. Buffy went through what her sister had told her again in her mind.

_"Hey, Mom!" Dawn called out as she shut the front door behind her. It was around five, and she had just come back from a sleepover at her best friend Janice's house. "Mom?" the teenager called again. "Mom, where are you?" The teenager searched the house only to find it empty. She didn't remember seeing Joyce's car in the driveway, so she figured her mother just went out for something quick._

Around thirty minutes later, Dawn got the worst call of her life. "Hello?" she answered, hoping it was her mom.

"Is this Buffy Summers?" the voice on the other end asked. It was unfamiliar to Dawn.

"No, this is her sister Dawn. Who is this?" she asked, a twinge of fear lingered in her voice.

"This is Doctor Moore down at the Sunnydale Hospital. I'm afraid I have some bad news. Do you want to sit down?"

"What's wrong?" Dawn said, ignoring the last comment. Her voice quaked.

"Your mother, Joyce Summers? She had, well, I'm sorry to say she had an aneurysm about an hour ago. She was able to make it to the ER, but there was nothing we could do to help. She passed away peacefully. She probably experienced very little pain. I'm so sorry for your loss. Is there someone you can call?"

The moment Dawn heard the words "passed away," she shut down. Her legs gave out, and she fell to the floor. Hot tears poured out.

"Sweetie? Sweetie are you still there?" It was Doctor Moore, but that was the least of Dawn's problems. She was stunned. How could her mother be gone? What was she going to do without her mother?

The next couple of hours were a blur. Dawn passed out and woke up around six thirty. She was convinced it was all a dream, until she realized the house was deserted. Her mind was spinning, and she felt like she was going to be sick. The one clear thought that rang out in her head was, "I've got to call Buffy."

"I just… I just don't understand," Buffy repeated.

"It was the headaches, Buffy," Dawn stated bitterly. She whimpered into the phone. "What are we going to do?" Fresh tears appeared in her eyes.

"I don't know! I don't know, Dawnie," she cried. By this time, Willow was horrified, and she had moved to be with Buffy on her bed. She ran small circles on the blonde's back with her hand. "I'm packing a bag," she declared abruptly. "I'll be there as soon as I can, okay? Don't. Go. Anywhere."

"I'll be here," the brunette sobbed. "Buffy, I'm so scared."

"I know. I am too. I'll call you from the airport. Lock the doors." She hung up the phone and tried to regain her composure. She stole a quick glance at the clock. Six fifty-five. "Oh my God, I have to call Will."

"Why don't you let me do that, okay sweetie? You just pack," Willow offered, feeling terrible.

"Thanks, Wills." Buffy gave her a weak smile. "I really appreciate it." She moved to her closet to start packing, and Willow picked up the phone, quickly dialing Will's number.

"'Ello?" answered a British voice.

"Hi, Will. It's Willow. Um… something important's come up, and Buffy can't make your date."

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, slightly panicked. _Is she breaking up with me?_ he wondered.

"I'll wait for her to fill you in, but she's leaving New York tonight. She's very sorry. She'll call you later, okay?"

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Not right now," she answered.

"Tell him I love him," said Buffy.

"Oh, Will?"

"Yeah, pet?" he responded.

"She says she loves you," Willow told him.

William smiled at the last comment. "I love her, too. Thanks."

"Bye." She hung up the phone and turned back to Buffy, who had tiny streams of tears running down her face. The redhead moved over to the closet and enveloped her roommate in a big hug.

"I just don't know what to do, Willow!" she wept into the other girl's shoulder.

"Shh, I know, sweetie. It'll be all right. I love you," she soothed.

"I love you, too."

***

Around an hour later, Buffy was at the airport staring up at the monitors telling which flights were leaving when. There was a plane leaving at eight forty-five, which would put her home around nine Pacific time. She charged the tickets to her Visa and walked down to her terminal to wait.

It seemed to take days for the plane to finally board, and when she was on the plane, Buffy couldn't figure out what to do with herself. Finally, she fell asleep but had constant nightmares. She woke up only to have an hour left on the flight. There was one thought that she just could not get out of her head: where would Dawn go? _It's not like she can go live with Dad._ she thought. The slightest notion of not knowing what to do with Dawn brought about another round of tears.

When her plane landed, Buffy got off in a state of catatonia. Nothing made sense anymore, and she was not coping. She hurried to baggage claim, got her things, and headed out to find a cab.

"1630 Revello Drive, please," she told the cabby.

"You okay, Miss?" he asked her noticing her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"I'll be fine," she lied.

Soon, the taxi turned onto Hadley, and Buffy reached in her purse for her cell phone. She dialed her house number and waited. Dawn answered on the first ring.

"Buffy?" her tiny voice squeaked.

"I'm almost home, Dawnie," she informed her sister and clicked off the phone.

Several minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the Summers house, and Buffy quickly paid the driver. She grabbed her belongings and hurried to her front door. It swung open, and Dawn looked out at her older sister, bawling.

Buffy dropped her bags and flung her arms around Dawn. The two sank to the floor and cried in the doorway.

-TBC-

***

A/n: I just realized, there's a lot more story I have yet to tell. Please stay with me! I promise naked Spike soon! Swear! =D Heh. And review? Cause it makes me happy and write and things of that nature!


	11. Abandoned

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Same old, same old. Characters are Joss's, title is Common Rotation's, one maybe two casually lifted lines from "The Body," but I swear, that's it!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Again with the me not updating. I'm sorry. Hopefully more regular updates await you in the future. Lord knows I try :0P So here's the latest installment of Burgandy. Thank you muchly to Alex who ((for some odd reasons)) reads this story even though she's only seen two episodes of BtVS: "the one where Oz leaves and the one where Riley and Buffy have constant graphic sex." I LOVE YOU, DARLING!

FEEDBACK: Yessm!

***

"Bollocks!" Will cursed as he hung up his phone. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Buffy had left New York, and he had been calling her all day. He hadn't gotten a hold of her once, and he was starting to really get nervous now. Fear and nerves consumed him as he worried about her. Whatever had made her leave, whatever she was going through, he knew it was big and bad and important. He just wanted to be there for her.

***

Dawn sat in the kitchen quietly listening to Buffy make arrangements over the telephone. She had been on the phone non-stop since daybreak, calling practically everyone the family knew. Both girls had tried their father's number at least three times, but they got no reply.

"Right. Yes… okay," she could hear her sister say. Dawn had been in a trance ever since Buffy arrived. She willed herself not to cry every moment, and every moment after that. Now she felt numb. "Yes, Tuesday will be fine. My sister and I can come over tomorrow to finalize the plans. Thank you." She hung up the phone and sat down at the counter with Dawn.

"What'd they say?" the younger sister asked, her voice low.

Buffy pushed her hair behind her ears before she answered. "The funeral's going to be Tuesday. We have to go to the funeral home tomorrow to make sure everything is set up, though." She looked over at her sister and squeezed her arm for comfort.

"He still hasn't called," Dawn said abruptly.

"I know," she replied quietly and looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Dawn, I need to get back on the phone. Make sure people know when the…" Her voice broke before she could say the word funeral. "You should really get something to eat. You haven't had anything since I've been here."

"I don't want anything," the brunette said as she got up. She quickly left the kitchen and ran upstairs to her room.

Buffy let out a sigh and picked up the phone.

***

An hour or so later, Buffy went to check on Dawn. She knocked on the door, but when there was no response, she twisted the knob and slowly entered. Dawn was lying on her bed crying softly. In her lap was a photo album. Buffy crawled up on the bed beside her little sister and gently stroked her hair.

Dawn lifted her head up and looked intently at her sister. "Buff?" she started.

The blonde looked down at her. "Yeah, sweetie?"

"Where am I going to go?" she choked out, tears that she had been holding back all day suddenly overflowing. "What's going to happen to me?"

Buffy pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead. "I don't know, Dawnie. I don't know." She picked up the album and began flipping through the pages. Pictures of the happy family they used to be smiled back at her. Now, that family was broken into a million pieces, and all Buffy wanted to do was put it back together again.

Dawn curled up against her sister and closed her eyes. The exhausted pair fell into a dreamless sleep.

***

Monday was a mess. Buffy and Dawn went to the funeral home to finish making all the arrangements for the ceremony the next day. To Buffy's surprise, her mother had been very prepared. She had picked out a plot, a casket, and a headstone. A twang of pain hit Buffy; she had never known Joyce was expecting death. Nevertheless, she was relieved that all the decisions were already made. All she had to do was keep it together, to be strong, for herself and for Dawn.

That night she called Willow to see how things were going back at school.

"Everything here's fine," Willow said reassuringly. "How are you?"

"I'm… well, I'm here. I think I am, anyway."

"When's the, you know, the funeral?"

"Tomorrow," Buffy informed her. "And after that… I don't know. God, Wills, I don't know what to do. I still have to find a place for Dawn to live."

Willow's heart broke for her best friend. "Oh God, poor Dawnie. I'm so sorry. I love you."

"I know. I just wish my mom was here."

***

The funeral was unbearable. Buffy was afraid it would never be over, that she would be stuck in that moment forever. The priest spoke, and Joyce was lowered into her grave. Dawn latched onto Buffy throughout the whole ceremony. She stood there and stroked the brunette's hair and tried to think of something, _anything_ else besides what she was doing and why she was doing it.

When it was all over, Buffy hugged and thanked the people that had attended, some she recognized and some she had never seen before. They were friends of Joyce's from the gallery, people whose numbers Buffy had gotten out of her mother's address book. When everything was over, she grabbed Dawn's hand and led her to the car; a few select family members came with them. The ride back to the house was silent and painful. Dawn cried in the backseat next to her, but Buffy was as rigid as stone. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Back at the house, Buffy had convinced Dawn to have a meal, even though she herself refused to eat. While everyone was in the kitchen, Buffy quietly slipped upstairs to her room. She sat down on her bed, dazed. A few minutes later, there was a small knock on her door. "Come in," she called halfheartedly.

"How are you holding up, honey?" It was her Aunt Darlene, Joyce's sister.

"Honestly, I couldn't tell."

"Listen, Buffy. I want to talk to you about your plans." Buffy gave her a confused look. "About your plans for Dawn," Darlene clarified. "Where were you planning on her living?"

Buffy looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap. "I figured she'd live with Dad, but he never called, so…" She let her sentence drop off, her eyes once more welling with tears. She should never have put it past him to abandon them again.

"What do you think about her coming to live with me? She could come back with us when we leave on Thursday."

She lifted her head back up to search her aunt's eyes. She only found love and concern. "I'd have to talk to Dawn. We have so much we still have to sort out here."

Darlene reached out to touch Buffy's arm. "I know, sweetie. Your uncle and I are here to help you girls every step of the way. We can help you pack, get the house ready to sell, figure out all the expenses that need to be paid."

Buffy's mind spiraled inside her head. She had never stopped to think of all the little details that needed to be settled, all the questions that needed to be answered. She felt like she might be sick, but she was glad that her aunt was there to help. "Thank you," she told her as she leaned her head against her aunt's shoulder.

Darlene hugged her and rocked her.

-TBC-

***

A/n: So, yes, that's what you get for now. And, might I add, only one or so more chapters until much Spuffy and good old angstiness ensue. I know Will kind of got the shaft in this chapter, but I'll make up for it, don't worry. Review and such!


	12. Going Home

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Blah blah blah. Joss is the man, who's been screwed over one too many times ::grumblegrumble:: Anyways, characters are his. Stole one of the best lines ever from Entropy, too. Title is Common Rotation's. Plot = mine. The end.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: When you get going, you get going. This is why there is such a soon update. I'm getting back into my story, so woohoo for that. Not really much to say. I've never had somebody die, but what happens in this chap seems pretty natural, at least to me. Oh well. Read, enjoy, review! lol

FEEDBACK: Oh yeah.

* * *

So it was settled. Dawn would go to live with Darlene and her husband, and Buffy would go back to New York alone. Wednesday was the day Buffy had dreaded. The day when the map ended, the day where she had no clue how she was supposed to spend one minute or the next, the day when her life meant nothing anymore, the day when her life seemed to be a lie as it was tucked away into boxes to be moved, the day filled with bill paying and packing up her old life.

Buffy raked through memories that cluttered her room. _Everything must be put into the boxes,_ she told herself. _Quickly. We're running out of time._ But every time she found something new in her room to pack, she would spend a few minutes just looking at it, remembering every little last detail about that particular object and the significance it had had in her life. She couldn't imagine just throwing whatever it may be into a cardboard box, possibly never to be seen again. But then she would remember just exactly what it was she was doing and how much time she didn't have and restlessly threw it in with the rest of her stuff.

Dawn was having a much harder time than Buffy. She completely refused to pack until Buffy came in and practically did it for her. When all of the girls' belongings were crammed into identical cardboard boxes, Buffy, Dawn, and Darlene began dismantling the rest of the house. Joyce's room came last.

The family decided together that they would pack up all of Joyce's possessions and bring them back to Darlene's home; not everything had to be sorted out right away. Buffy and Dawn sifted through their mother's clothes, linens, towels, accessories, and furniture. Items were packed, and tears were shed.

Buffy and Dawn's uncle had spent the afternoon renting a U-Haul. When the house was nearly bare, he took all the filled boxes and loaded them into the truck. He decided to give his plane ticket home to Dawn, and he drove the U-Haul back to their house Wednesday night. "You girls take it easy," he told them as he gave both Dawn and Buffy hugs before he left.

"Bye," they replied, watching him as he drove off. Darlene shut the door and ushered the girls back into the living room.

"Buffy," she said trying to ease into the topic of the house, "I've spoken with the realtor."

The blonde's attention was quickly captured. "Oh, right. What'd they say?"

"She said that the house will go on the market tomorrow," Darlene informed her.

"Sh-should I stay here?" Buffy asked, wondering if it was all right to return to New York tomorrow as scheduled. She didn't think she could stay in the house alone.

"She said that wouldn't be necessary, unless the house doesn't sell within the month, or something comes up. If that happens, I told her I would come right out."

"Thank you," she told her aunt, giving her a grateful look.

"There are some other things I need to talk to you about. Dawn, sweetie? Do you want to go upstairs?"

"What's the point?" Dawn asked angrily. "There _is_ no upstairs anymore."

"Dawn, she just meant…" Buffy cut in, trying to get her sister to calm down.

"I know what she meant," the brunette said coldly. "I'm not moving." She crossed her arms over her chest for emphasis.

Darlene sighed and looked at Buffy. "Well," she started again, "most of the bills have already been paid. Your college should be taken care of, at least for the next couple of years, and I'm sure we won't have a problem with Dawn's schooling."

Thoughts flashed through Buffy's mind about not being able to go to college, about Dawn not being able to, about sacrificing her dreams for those of her sister. "You mean, I might not be able to finish out college?"

"Buffy," Darlene put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "It will all work out. Trust me." The blonde gave her a weak smile and ran the tiny charm on her necklace up and down the chain. _We can do this._

* * *

Thursday was the day of goodbyes. The makeshift family rode to the airport that morning in silence, all afraid of saying anything that might strike up pain or grief. They arrived at the terminal, and the sisters walked hand in hand into the building not once letting go before they were separated by a young man's voice beckoning to Dawn and Darlene. "Flight three fourteen now boarding," he called.

"That's us," Darlene told Buffy as she rose from her seat and picked up her purse. "If you ever need anything," she whispered to Buffy as she pulled her into a hug, "we're just a phone call away. You know that."

"I know," the blonde replied. She let go of her sister's hand and enveloped Dawn's body with her own. "I love you so much, Dawnie."

"I'm going to miss you so much," the twelve year old wept, tears noiselessly falling.

"We've been apart before, remember?" She tried to lighten the mood but knew it would never work. How do you lighten never-ending darkness?

"It's not the same," Dawn stated matter-of-factly.

Buffy kissed her on the forehead and let her go. "I love you."

"I love you, too." With that, Dawn and her aunt walked away and onto the airplane. Buffy's eyes followed them as long as possible. When she was sure they were gone, she slumped back into her seat and fell apart.

* * *

Buffy's flight back to New York left about an hour and a half after her sister's. When the time came, she grabbed her bag and mindlessly followed the other passengers onto the plane. She tried to keep her mind as empty as possible- it hurt too much to think.

The minute the plane landed, Buffy was off. She rushed to the baggage claim to get the remainder of her property, then out to hail a cab. Eventually one stopped, and she opened the door and climbed in.

"Where are we headed to today, Miss?" the driver asked. She promptly gave him the address and leaned back in her seat. Buffy let her eyes scan the somewhat familiar drive. She couldn't believe that this had been her life only days before.

Once the taxi reached its destination, Buffy quickly paid and grabbed her things. She headed to the building, swiftly opened the doors and walked inside. She ran to the elevator and pressed the button to ascend to floor two. The elevator doors opened, and Buffy was off in a second. She moved down the hall and stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall, bags in hand. Her hand loudly knocked three times.

"Bugger," she heard him curse from inside. Will answered the door and was shocked at who stood before him.

She was crying. As soon as she saw him, tears ran down her face leaving little streams all the way down.

"Buffy, love, what's wrong?" he asked, concern washed over his features. She remained silent, so he continued. "I've tried to call you all week. Your cell must not be working." Still, he got no response. "Buffy! Please, say something!"

"Can you just be kissing me now?" She leapt into his arms, flooding him in a sea of kisses. He pulled her into his apartment and shut the door.

-TBC-

* * *

A/n: I promised Spuffy, so hopefully I came through. Major major MAJOR Spuffiness ensues next, because in true Spuffy style, there's always that big, *ahem*, scene. You know the one I'm talking about. And if you don't, yay for me getting to tell you a new story! Lots more to come. Now go review! 3


	13. Wrecked

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Joss, CoRo. You know the drill.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bwahaha! Sex scene! Well, not really, because PG13 and all, but still, whatever :P Not much to say. Actually nothing. For Anna Mooray, because this is *her* story, heh.

FEEDBACK: This is a must have.

***  
"I've tried… to get to you… forever… oh, bloody hell," William managed to pant in between the barrage of affection Buffy was sending his way. "Buffy," he said as he put his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her away. "Slow down, pet. I'm not going anywhere."

Newly forming tears shone in her eyes, and she turned her gaze away from him. "Love, what happened?" he asked again.

She looked back up at him, and for a second he thought she would let her guard down. He was wrong. "It doesn't matter," she told him as she began to push off his tee. He let her set the pace, afraid of whatever was obviously causing her so much pain.

Buffy began to undress herself now, and Will led her to his room. He softly brushed kisses down her collarbone as she undid her bra. She shoved down her skirt and crept into his bed. He stood next to it wearing only his boxers and a smile, carefully studying the goddess that was waiting for him. After a minute, he joined her under the covers, their mouths meeting in a passionate kiss. A kiss that tasted like truth.

"Are you sure about this, love?" he questioned, a twinge of excitement and anxiety lingered in his voice. Her hands were everywhere, and it was driving him crazy.

She looked deeply into his eyes and declared, "Absolutely."

***

Will awoke to the sounds of a softly crying girl. As he slipped back into consciousness, he remembered everything about the night before. Buffy had come to him, and they had made love. Everything was perfect and beautiful. Cuddled together, they fell asleep thinking of each other. Naturally, when he woke up to find the same girl alone on the other side of the bed crying, he knew something was not right. He quickly looked at his alarm clock. Three in the morning.

Carefully, Will edged his way over to Buffy. When he was just behind her, he curled an arm across her waist and lovingly stroked her arm. "Darling, what's wrong?" he whispered to her.

Buffy snaked one of her arms up to her face to wipe away the tears. "Nothing. I'm fine," she claimed.

Will wasn't buying it, and he slowly turned her body towards him. "It's all right, love. You can tell me. You _need_ to tell me. Keeping something like this bottled up isn't good for you." She refused to look at him. "Please tell me what's going on, Buffy. I can't stand to see you this way."

She suddenly got very angry. Rage boiled inside her until she couldn't take it any longer. "You want to know what's wrong? She died, William. She _died_," Buffy screamed.

Taken aback, he asked, "Who? Who died?"

"My mom! She was back in California dying, and I was here with you! And no one did anything about it! I should've been there. I should have been there," she sobbed, collapsing into a fit of tears.

"Shh, baby. I'm here." He enveloped her body with his and pulled her close. He rubbed her back to soothe her and let her cry it out. He knew that was all he could do. Will whispered loving words into her ear until she finally fell asleep.

Unable to slumber, Will lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, trying to comprehend the situation. _You stupid git,_ he thought. _How did you not figure it out? God… what the hell could she be thinking? What is she going through?_ A part of him was hurt. Buffy hadn't trusted him enough to tell him earlier. _Maybe it wasn't that_, he tried to convince himself, but he couldn't help but wonder why she was only telling him now. What she said kept repeating in his mind: _"She was back in California dying, and I was here with you!"_ A twinge of guilt hit him hard in his gut. He got the strong urge to call his own mum, but fought it, knowing he couldn't leave Buffy. Hesitantly, he closed his eyes and rested until morning.

***

Around sunrise, Will felt Buffy stir. He opened one eye and watched her roll over to face him. "Morning, ducks," he said. "How are you feeling?"

She let out a little sigh and looked up at him. "Okay, I guess," she told him. Catching his concerned look, she added, "Better."

He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "How about some breakfast? Coffee?"

"You don't drink coffee. Un-mixy things, remember?"

This merited a smile. "True, I would have to run out and get some, but that wouldn't be the end of the world." Will stood and pulled on some pants. Buffy sat up, abruptly feeling sick to her stomach. She desperately clung the bed sheet to her body, feeling very naked. He took no notice. "Give me fifteen minutes? I'll be right back," he called as he swept out of the apartment.

Will walked down the stairs to the first floor and out into the early morning sunshine. His mood had completely changed in the past few hours, knowing he had to be strong for Buffy. _His_ girl. He strolled quickly to the nearest coffee shop, eager to get back home. While ordering, he got another idea.

Shoving money at the waitress, Will grabbed the two tall cups of coffee and headed back. He spotted a small vendor on a street corner with a small selection of flowers, and picked three daffodils that reminded him of Buffy. The man who owned the kiosk put them in a small glass vase as Will paid. "Nice choice," he commented. "They for someone special?"

"If you only knew." Will thanked the man and returned on his way, carrying the coffee in one hand and the flowers in the other. He had an interesting time getting into his building and up to his apartment, trying desperately not to drop anything. Amazingly, he had been able to get back into his apartment with all belongings intact. There was only one problem: Buffy was gone.

-TBC-

***

A/n: Dum dum duuuuummmm… hee. Hope you enjoyed! So what are you waiting for? Go review! Also? More updates soon, because… well, yay spring break!


	14. Ashamed

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Joss, CoRo. Some dialogue appears in "As You Were." I think that's pretty much it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Meep. It took awhile, I know. I'm sorry. ::looks around sheepishly:: But just in time for eight o'clock Tuesday night! Hope this fills your Buffy void. Side note? Who caught SMG on Ellen? Hee. Love. That. Girl. Hopefully this chappy will explain why her character in my fic did some crazy things. You never know, maybe you'll even feel sorry for her :/

FEEDBACK: I like it. I love it. I want some more of it.

***

Buffy's emotions were on overload. The second Will stood to put on his pants, the memory of the night before came flooding back to her. She remembered coming over to his house a crying wreck and taking comfort in him. Now she felt ill, scared, and ashamed.

Composing herself, she managed to push all criticizing thoughts to the back of her head and attempted to have a normal conversation with her boyfriend. As soon as he left the apartment, Buffy scurried about, quickly dressing and grabbing her bags. Hurrying to avoid Will, she booked to the elevator and out the lobby of the building.

The nearest coffee shop was to the left, so Buffy went right. She felt tears prick the back her eyes but willed them away. _You can't fall apart yet,_ she told herself. Mentally going through her wallet, she wondered if she had enough money for a cab. Ordinarily, she would walk since Will didn't live too far from the school, but ordinarily she wouldn't be carrying suitcases, either.

Risking the situation, she hailed a taxi. Carefully, Buffy eased herself into the vehicle and closed the door. She began to feel warm, so she gently rested her head against the cool glass of the window. Feelings she had tried so hard to suppress were beginning to leak out.

_I was so stupid. How could I use him like that?_ Guilt overwhelmed her as she thought of Will, and she felt as if she were choking. Buffy's instant reaction was to justify the things she had done. _I was just vulnerable and needy. Mom would be so disappointed._ Her eyes automatically closed as Buffy pictured her mother out of pain, of grief, and out of love. She repeated, _So stupid. So needy. So disappointed._ It never crossed her mind that maybe she really loved him.

***

Will was frantic. He searched his tiny flat for any trace of the missing girl but found nothing. All of her things were gone. Defeated, he sat down heavily on his bed. He knew this wasn't like her, and he knew he had to do something. He just didn't know what. In that moment, he had never felt so helpless or alone. A tear slowly rolled down his cheek.

***

The cab drove away having dropped Buffy off, and she watched it move down the road. She wished she could go with it, to ride away and never come back. Maybe that would make everything easier.

Breaking out of the trance, she eventually turned away from the street and walked back to her dorm. As she crept to her door, she hoped Willow was at Oz's or had already left for her class. Probably not since it was still so early, but she hoped anyway.

To Buffy's surprise, she found the room empty. Of course, she loved Willow, but she was in desperate need of solitude.

Crawling into bed, she curled up under the covers like she used to do when she was a little girl. She closed her eyes and absentmindedly played with her horseshoe necklace. Listening to the silence of the early morning, Buffy realized what a mess her life had become. She wanted to laugh, not out of happiness, out of sorrow. A sort of ironic giggle she felt she should be familiar with by now. Laughter inevitably fell to tears. Softly, as to not disturb the vacant room, she cried herself to sleep.

***

_"Tell me you love me," I demand._

"I love you," he replies.

"Tell me you want me."

His eyes flash to disbelief for a second before returning to absolute lust. "I always want you."

I can feel him all over me, surrounding me. It is beautiful and intoxicating, and I never want it to end. I can feel it coming; I'm so close. Here it comes! Anticipation of release, but now my body is wracked with panic and fear.

Suddenly, I'm out in a field. Taking a look around, I find my mother standing in a patch of daffodils, the bright sun beating down on her. She's saying something. What is she saying? I can't understand you! She's walking away. Am I supposed to follow? Wait! Wait for me! Please, please wait for me!

The telephone rang, and Buffy was jolted awake. Tears streamed down her face, and her body shone with sweat. Doing the best to pull herself together, she looked at the clock. Eleven thirty. The phone continued to ring, but she refused to answer it. She sank back down into bed as she heard the familiar voice on the answering machine.

"Buffy, pet, if you're there, please pick up. I just want to know if you're okay." Will's voice dropped. "I love you." He hung up, and she rolled over, knowing nothing she could say to him now would help the situation. That afternoon, she would talk with Willow, and then at night she would call Dawn. For the time being, Buffy just lay in bed taking in each moment as it came and praying the next would be a little bit easier.

***

Will slammed his cell shut angrily and silently screamed every curse word he knew. _"Bugger, sodding hell, fuck!" _Somehow, he had managed to slip out of the class he was helping Giles cover to call his missing girlfriend. That was the fourth time he'd called her that morning, and still he got no answer. It was almost noon, so class was nearly over. If he hadn't agreed to go out with Giles for lunch, he would have rushed straight over to her room. _I guess that will have to wait,_ he thought.

Creeping back into the classroom, he caught the tail end of the lecture. "Thank you, everyone," Giles told the exiting students. "Remember the reading for next week. You'll be starting a new unit that is imperative to the final examination." Noticing Will's troubled expression, he asked, "Is everything all right, William?"

"I don't think so," the younger man replied. "But I'm going to find out."

-TBC-

***

A/n: Did this fill your Buffy void? I hope so! Fear not, lovelies. Everything will ((probably)) work out in the end. Probably… ;) Anyways, latest Spuffy stories I've got going include Smile ((which is already posted)), and I'm also working on another. Lots of Spuffy in the future. In the meantime, REVIEW! :D


	15. The Time

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Joss, CoRo.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not a whole lot to say. This should explain Buffy's actions more ((hopefully)). Especially, see the quote below from "The Body." Tara's a genius. And I planned out the *whole* rest of the story, which is very exciting. Also? To respond to **g-@-b-S-t-E-r*07's** question: Buffy can't tell Will what's going on because Buffy ((on the show and in well-written fic, might I add)) is a complicated and stubborn son of a bailiff. But! Fear not! All will be revealed in time.

FEEDBACK: I need it like Spike needs hair gel.

***

"There's things… thoughts and reactions I had that… I couldn't… understand… or even try to explain to anyone else. Thoughts that… made me feel like I was losing it… or, like I was some kind of ho-horrible person. I know it's different for you… because it's always different, but…"

***

"You're back!" Willow screeched as she entered her dorm that she shared with her best friend. She ran over to Buffy, who was sitting on her bed, and gave her a huge hug. The blonde weakly returned the gesture.

"Hey, Wills," she said. It was mid-afternoon, and after spending the entire morning in a state of shock and despair, her emotions were finally under control. Or so she hoped, anyway.

The other girl gently sat down on the bed and began stroking Buffy's hair. "How are you, sweetie? Is everything all right?"

Lifting her head, she replied sadly, "No. It's really not." Willow gave her a worried look, and she continued. "My flight got in last night, and I went straight over to Will's."

"I bet he loved seeing you again."

Buffy nodded. "And I was so happy to see him, too. It had been nearly a week since I'd talked to him. Every time I picked up the phone to call him, something nagged at me to wait. Everything was just so hectic and painful and…" She stopped, composing herself, then returned to her story. "I must've been out of my mind last night, Willow. I completely lost it." She turned away, trying to hide her embarrassed expression.

"What do you mean?" the redhead asked, confused.

"I… well, we… you know." She couldn't even bring herself to say what she had actually done. Her face flushed.

"Oh," her friend replied, the situation dawning on her. "Was it, um, bad?"

"It was amazing. But it wasn't real." Buffy got up and began to pace the room. "That couldn't have been me, Willow! I would never do that. I would never take advantage of him like that."

"Why would you think you were taking advantage of him?"

"Because I was hurting. I was needy, and he was there. He was comforting and loving, and I let myself give into him. This is so humiliating." She plopped down in the bed and lay her head in Willow's lap. A few tears escaped and trickled down her face.

Her roommate was speechless. Not knowing what to say, she patted Buffy's head. "Shh, honey. Everything's going to be fine."

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Sitting up, the blonde wiped at her eyes. "Great. Visitors."

"I'll get it," Willow told her, already moving that way. _Oh, shit._ she thought as she opened the door.

Standing outside was Will.

"'Ello, Red," he greeted her.

Forcing a smile, she replied, "Howdy."

_No, no, no!_ Buffy frantically tried to figure out what her next move should be, but nothing came to mind. There was absolutely no way she could get out of what was about to happen. She quickly felt her stomach tighten up.

Craning his neck to see into the room, he asked, "Is my girl here?"

Turning to give her friend a tiny shrug, Willow stepped aside. "Yep."

Before he had a chance to come in, Buffy rushed to stand right in front of Will. _The faster I can get rid of him, the faster I can sift through the mess that is my life._ she told herself.

He leaned in for a kiss, and she broke it off in a matter of seconds. Brow furrowed, Will asked, "Love, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied. "I can't talk is all. Lots of make-up work, you know. Better get started."

Knowing she wasn't telling the truth, he considered questioning her. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally deciding on what to say. "Buffy, we need to talk. I was so worried about you this morning."

"I know, but I have to work, Will. I'll call you later," she told him, trying to get rid of him as quickly as possible.

He hesitated before turning to leave. "Right, then." Dropping his voice, he whispered, "Love you."

A weak smile appeared on her face. "You, too." Buffy shut the door and turned around to face her friend.

"What was that all about? Why did you just blow him off like that?" Willow was incredibly perplexed by her friend's actions.

Buffy's face fell. "I just can't deal with this right now, Wills. I just can't. It's too much." She walked back to her bed and sat down. She laughed a harsh laugh and said, "God. Look at me. Pathetic much?"

"That's not fair," the redhead told her. "You've been through hell this past week. Give yourself a little credit."

"It's just…" her voice trailed off for a second before she continued shakily, "I just can't help wondering if I'm doing all this. Am I making all this bad stuff happen? Is it me?"

"Oh, no. Of course not!" Willow assured her. "Don't even think that. Things like this just sort of happen, you know?"

Burying her hands in her face, she nodded. "I was such a bitch to him this morning."

"You've been under a lot of pressure. I'm sure it wasn't on purpose, Buff."

"No, it was. I ran out on him." She heard Willow gasp, and finished the story. "He went out to get us breakfast. He was trying to make me feel better, like he always does. And I completely took off." Raising her head to look at her friend, she confided, "I don't think this is going to work, Wills."

"Don't say that," she chided and pulled her roommate into a hug. "You don't really mean that."

"Don't I? I can't go on seeing him knowing what I did. Even if I didn't mean to hurt him, I can't do it." She rested her head in the crook of Willow's neck. Almost inaudibly, she added, "My mom would be so disappointed in me."

_So that's what this is all about._ the redhead considered. She knew it wasn't true, and she knew she had to say something to Buffy. Still, something in the back of her mind was screaming at her to wait. This wasn't the time. This was the time for love and support. Everything else would have to take a backseat.

-TBC-

***

A/n: More angst, drama, and happiness to come! Stick with me :) Also? Review please!


	16. Hope

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Joss, CoRo.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a timely manner, right? Well kiddies, stuff's winding down. I think there's gonna be two slash three more chapters, NOT counting my interlude I'm writing. Not much to say. Maybe there's one line that belongs to "As You Were." Probably, yeah.

FEEDBACK: My life has few joys. This is a big one. Indulge me?

***

Buffy's stomach was heavy as she trudged into class Saturday morning. One clear thought rang out in her mind: she didn't call Will. He told her to call, and she didn't. Now she would give anything to be anywhere else but the third-row-fifth-seat-from-the-left that she currently was expected to occupy. If things had been different, she would have cut Writing. Right now, that was not an option, so she settled for keeping her head down and her mouth shut.

Luckily, Giles had mentioned, "William is a tad detained and will be joining us anon." She let herself smile at her professor's ability to make everything sound unbelievably stuffy and British before focusing her attention on class.

Just as was foretold, Will arrived twenty minutes late. Buffy peeked up from her notebook to get in one good glance of her boyfriend. _God, he looks like hell._ she thought. His hair was all over the place, a far cry from its normal slicked-back 'do. His clothes were wrinkled, like he had slept in them all night and forgot to get dressed this morning. His eyes were bloodshot. She could've sworn he was hung over.

The young man scanned the room looking for her, and when his eyes were dangerously close to making contact with hers, she quickly turned away. Buffy pulled up the hood on her sweatshirt and stared down at her notes. _This is going to be a long class._

***

Noon rolled around, and Buffy was anxious to fly out the door and not look back. She waited for next week's assignment and grabbed her bag. Her attempt to flee came to an abrupt halt when Will appeared directly in front of her path of travel.

"Buffy, hey," he said putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hi, Will," squeaked his girlfriend. Buffy looked up into his face to see how his condition was holding up. If she didn't know him, she'd think he was scared.

"Have lunch with me, pet?" She noticed he sounded a bit desperate, like he was dying to be with her.

Refusing to let herself give in, she told him, "I can't. I have too much work. I'll call you later. Promise." Her words were quick and perhaps a bit calculated.

Will knew she was lying but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He was still clinging to a shred of hope. A tiny nod and an "Okay." Brushing a soft kiss to her lips, he moved to let her leave.

She squeezed his hand before walking out the door.

***

A week had passed, and Buffy had conveniently managed to catch up in most, if not all, of her classes while coming in minimal, if not zero, contact with Will. It was driving him insane.

Walking across campus to Stevenson Hall, nerves began to set in. _What's with the butterflies, you ponce?_ Will asked himself. Not wanting to admit that something was coming, he pushed everything to the back of his mind.

Will knew that Buffy usually spent her Friday afternoons outside around the dorm, so he wasn't surprised when he found her and Willow sitting on the tall wall by the stoop of the building. Stopping directly underneath the pair, he tipped his head back to see up to them.

The redhead was the first to spot him. "Hi there, Will," she greeted and gave him a nervous smile.

He held up a hand to wave before stating, "I need to speak with Buffy."

"Sure. No problem." Willow carefully lowered herself down, Will trying to help her. "I think I better find Oz, anyway. He's got a gig tonight with the band, and you know how nervous he, well, rarely ever is," she babbled while struggling to leave as fast as possible.

Will grinned at the innocence Willow can't help but radiate and turned back to the remaining girl on the wall. With the stealth of a cat, he climbed up to join her. "So…"

"So," Buffy repeated, holding up her finger to chew at a nail.

"Love, ever since you've been back, you're…" He searched for the right word. "You're, different. And now you're avoiding me, and I can't help wonder why."

"I know," she squeaked, her voice as small as a drop of rain. Taking a deep breath and steadying her voice, but refusing to look at him, she continued, "And it's not fair. It's not fair to you. I can't be what you want right now."

Taken aback, Will fish mouthed for a minute. "What… what are you saying?"

"This, us, it's bad, and I don't want to do that to you. It's killing me." Holding her head up, she saw tears in his eyes that matched the ones in hers. "I'm sorry, William." She hopped off the wall and ran to her room.

***

Will waited a few days before making his move. Mostly it was waiting in the form of getting smashed, but he called it waiting nonetheless. Putting it off until he was sure Buffy was in class, he called over to her room.

"Hello?" Willow answered in her sing-song voice.

"'S me, Red."

"Will, hi. How are you?" He thought he detected sincerity in her voice.

"Peachy bloody keen," he replied sarcastically.

"I'm so sorry. Everything that she put you through…" Willow had gotten the entire story when she came home later that day. She knew what Buffy was feeling but at the same time was panged with immense sympathy for Will.

"Has she said anything?" His voice was strained, and she could tell he was hurting. Bad.

"Not lately. She's been pretty quiet. Talking to her sister a lot, making sure everything's going all right."

"Dawn," was all he said.

There was an awkward pause, and Willow said, "She'll come around, you know. She'll never admit it, but she will. And I bet you'll be there for her when she does."

"Tell her that for me."

"I will," she promised.

He moved to hang up the phone when he heard her say something.

"Oh, and Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't give up hope."

"I won't, Red. I won't."

-TBC-

***

A/n: Don't give up hope! And review? Rant to me about anything, everything, and give Will a hug, yeah? :)


	17. Finishing Touches

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: As the lovely Miss Anna would say, ITSWEDEN. In her twisted little mind, that means 'it's Whedon.' But we love her muchly. Yeah, quite a few lines are actually his. 'Specially one of the best ones (T,D&F), so yay Joss. Also, the title belongs to Common Rotation. Yeah.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, I was in DC last weekend, which explains the late-itiude of this chapter. Not a whole lot to say, really. Thank you to Anna and Alex for our little chat in free this afternoon. And to Alex's mom, for reasons I just won't say. She's had it *ahem*rough*ahem* these past couple of days. ::bursts out laughing::

FEEDBACK: Ohhhhh baby. (Translation: yes.)

***

Buffy waited, trying to be patient, as the phone rang. _Pick up, Dawn. Pick up._ After three rings, her cheery voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dawnie," she replied, happy to hear her sister more back to normal now.

"Hi, Buffy. What's up?"

"Nothing really." _Liar._ her brain told her. "What about you? How're you holding up?"

"I'm okay. My new friends are so cool. I can't wait 'til you come visit."

A pang hit Buffy in the stomach, but she shook it off and replied, "Yeah, me too."

"What's wrong?" her sister asked, noticing that something was up. There was a muffled response, and Dawn tried again. "What's wrong, Buffy?"

"I… I broke up with him." Her voice was barely audible.

"You broke up with Will?" The younger sister was practically screaming into the phone. Even though she had never met him, Dawn really liked Will. Mostly because he made Buffy so happy. "Why would you do that? Did he do something?"

"I don't know. No, he didn't do anything. It's just…" Her mind was racing, and she knew nobody would understand. "It wasn't working out for us right now. I can't explain it, Dawnie."

The brunette didn't know how to respond. She knew it was a mistake and that Buffy would eventually work everything out, but she felt so bad for Will. "Uh huh," she said. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you made the right decision."

_I hope so. _"Yeah, me too. Listen, I gotta run, but I wanted to check in." Suddenly getting uncomfortable with the conversation, Buffy wanted to hang up as soon as possible.

"Right. Always doing the big sister thing."

"Well, if I'm not the big sister, who's going to be?" she joked. "I'll talk to you real soon, okay, Dawn?"

"Definitely," the twelve-year-old assured her. "Love ya."

"You too. Bye." Buffy hung up the telephone and leaned back on her bed. _I sure hope so._

***

"Buffy!" She was moving. _What the hell?_ she thought. Kept getting jerked around. _And who's calling me?_

Willow continued shouting and shaking her friend. "Buffy! Wakey-wakey!"

Slowly coming out of sleep, the blonde slurred, "All right, all right. I'm up. Where are we so eager to get to this morning?"

"English class, remember? That place we go to every Wednesday morning so that we can graduate?"

Buffy groaned. "You couldn't just let me sleep? There were good dreams. Good dream-age, Wills!"

Her roommate picked up a pillow and hit her on the head. "Come on, Buff. We're gonna be late."

Pouting, she grumbled, "Fine. But George Clooney is upset to lose me, too."

Willow smiled. "I'm sure he'll find the courage to live on. Now scoot!"

Jumping out of bed, she gave the redhead a mock salute and was returned with a light slap on her ass.

"Get a move on, Soldier!" Willow told her. "No time to dilly-dally. We have to be at class in oh-nine-hundred hours. Move out."

Giggling, Buffy marched to her closet and began to get dressed. It had been a while since she'd laughed. It felt good.

***

The two girls ducked into class one minute before Mr. Giles started his lecture.

"I knew we'd get here on time," the blonde bragged. "This waking up early business is all hype."

Willow shot her friend a look as the two sat down in their usual seats.

Trying not to be obvious, Buffy looked around for Will. She found him sitting in the desk in the far corner at the front of the room. He was fidgeting around with some papers, and she figured he was trying to look busy.

Her friend caught on and let out a sigh. _These two are just *meant* for each other._ the redhead told herself.

***

As per usual, the professor turned the class over to his T.A. at the end for assignments and such. The students stood and began exiting like normal. Just as Buffy moved to leave, and at the same moment Will was coming up to talk to her, someone with dark hair stopped her dead in her tracks. "Hi. I'm Angel," he introduced himself.

"Yeah, I've seen you around," she nervously answered. "I'm Buffy." _What's he want?_

"I know." He gave her a half grin and looked down.

Will was about to explode with rage and jealousy, but he snorted at Angel's shyness, for lack of a better word. _Poof._ At least he was good for amusement.

"Well, actually, I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me sometime. Maybe hang at the Bronze on Saturday?"

_There we go._ Will was back to rage and jealousy. _Say no, Buffy. Say no._

Say no! Buffy willed herself. _You have to say no! And Will is standing right there! _"Uh…" she stammered. Her head spun around, looking for Willow's help, but her roommate had already ducked out of the room to go look for Oz. "Um, er… okay." _Wait, what?_

Wait, what? The bleached blonde just stared on in horror as his ex accepted a date with bleeding Tall, Dark, and Forehead. _He is quite the ogre, isn't he? _A quick sneer and then return to disbelief.

_Why the hell did I say that? _Buffy thought frantically. _I can't believe I just did that._

"Great," Angel said, completely oblivious to the puzzled expressions he was getting from both Buffy and Will, who he had failed to acknowledge all together. "I'll pick you up at seven."

Buffy turned quickly on her heel and scampered out of the room, not wanting to deal with what Will must be thinking now.

Will's first instinct was to run after her, but his better judgment decided against it. That proved to be a mistake. He turned his head back to face Angel just in time to catch the brunette raising his eyebrows and cocking his head, giving Will a wicked smirk. He walked out.

_You're lucky I don't rip your bloody throat out, Nancy Boy._ Through his murderous thoughts, one genuinely bright idea shone in Will's mind. He ran out of the classroom, leaving a very confused and very alone Giles.

The older man chuckled and gathered his things to depart.

***

Will spent his entire afternoon locked up in his bedroom. Everything had to be perfect, or it would never work. Putting on the finishing touches, he reached for the phone.

He grabbed the tiny piece of paper out of his wallet where he had scribbled a number down one night when he and Buffy had doubled with Willow and Oz. Dialed and waited.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Oz. It's Will. I was wondering if you could help me with something."

-TBC-

***

A/n: Another chapter down, only a few more left. What's Will got up his sleeve? And did anybody see how viciously hot JM looks now? ;) Review and tell me what you think!


	18. Good Night Sweet Girl

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Joss, for being so cool and everything. Common Rotation for the title. Ghost of the Robot for the song and general wonderfulness.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I overcame an incredible bout of laziness to write this chapter. Aren't you proud? Lol. Apologies for any formatting craziness, because that's courtesy of this new QuickEdit thingamabobber that FFN insists on. Also, sorry for any Angel-bashing. It's all in fun, I swear. I like Angel and everything, it's just some things are too damn funny not to joke about. Yeah. Okay, onto the story.

FEEDBACK: Come on, don't make me beg.

---

Buffy walked up to the front of the room after her usual Saturday morning writing class. "Hi, Mr. Giles."

"Oh," he said as he looked up from collecting his things. "Hello, Buffy. Do you have a question?"

The young girl shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Well, I was wondering where Will was," she blurted out uncomfortably. He hadn't been present in class today, and Buffy just could not keep her curiosity bottled up any longer.

"It seems he had a prior engagement," he told her. "I believe he called it, a, a…" He took off he glasses, wiping them thoroughly as he stammered. "Oh! A gig. Yes, that's what it was."

_A gig?_ Buffy thought. _Since when does Will have gigs?_ "Um, okay. Thank you," she thanked him quickly and started to walk out.

"Hope I could help you!" Giles called after her. He wasn't sure, either, what William was up to. _Whatever it is, though, it must be good._

---

"That's so weird, Buff," Willow confessed to her best friend. The two girls sat in a small café to have lunch.

The blonde reviewed her story trying to figure out what was going on. She didn't like being in the dark. "I know! I didn't know what to think because, well, what the _hell_, ya know?"

Nodding, her roommate said, "I'm sure it's nothing. Not important at all. A big vat of nada." She smiled supportively at Buffy.

"Thanks, Wills."

"Pssh. That's the best friend's job. I'm Support-o Gal."

Letting out a sigh, Buffy replied, "I have a feeling I'll be needing all the support I can get."

---

_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my GOD!_ It was six forty-five, and Angel would be there to pick her up in fifteen minutes for their date. _Date. Daaate. Oh my God! Calm down, Buffy. You have to stop freaking out._

"Buffy!" her best friend shouted. "You _have_ to stop freaking out!"

"I know, Wills. I know. It's just… I can't help it. This was a bad idea. Big bad idea. Full of badness." The blonde continued babbling until Willow planted her hands firmly on Buffy's shoulders.

"Look, this is not that scary. Sure, it's a date. But it's a date with a really cute guy. And there's going to be plenty of people there. Including me, remember? I'll be there to watch the band play and to keep an eye on you. Everything will be swell, okay?"

She nodded.

"Okay. And if he starts getting fresh, well then I'll just show up and put a stop to it!" Willow exclaimed. This got a giggle from her terrified friend.

"You know what? You're right. I've got this. I've got this," Buffy repeated. There was a knock at the door, and she shrunk back down on her bed. "I don't got this," she croaked.

The redhead let out an exasperated grunt and pulled her to her feet. "You look great," she said as Buffy straightened her 'little black dress' that every girl should have. Continuing, Willow said, "You feel, uh, almost great. Everything will be great. Now go!" She gave the girl a little push towards the door, hoping she wouldn't chicken out and not answer it.

Buffy took a deep breath and opened the door. Outside stood Angel, clad in black pants and a black shirt. He also wore a long black coat. _Wow. He kind of dresses like Will._ she thought. _No! Don't think of Will. This is your night with Angel. Heh. Look at how his hair sticks straight up._ A smile appeared on her face, and she hoped it was a convincing 'oh-you-look-nice' expression and not a 'I-was-just-making-fun-of-you-inside-my-head' one. _That's enough thinking for now, Buffy._

"You look amazing," Angel complimented her. "Gorgeous."

Feeling her cheeks flush, she responded, "Thanks. So do you." Catching her flub, she added, "Um, I mean, in a guy way."

Willow popped up at the door, wishing the couple a good time. "You crazy kids have fun, okay?"

Angel flashed her a patronizing smile and led Buffy out of the doorway. The blonde turned around for one last look of support from her friend. She got a smile and a wave as the door shut behind her.

---

As their cab pulled up outside of the Bronze, it started raining; plump drops of rain fell from the sky. Angel took off his jacket and held it over his date to keep her from getting wet. They made it to the building reasonably dry, and he grinned.

"Thanks for the umbrella." Buffy groaned. "Ugh, my hair must be so incredibly attractive right now," she said sarcastically.

"I think you look great." There was an awkward pause, and he offered, "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice. I'll have a soda, please."

He began to walk away and then asked her to get a table.

"Sure, no problem." She looked around for some place to sit, wishing that Willow or anyone with a familiar face could come rescue her from the night of uneasy silences and first date drama. _No such luck._

---

Around eight, Willow showed up. However, she seemed to be carefully avoiding Buffy and Angel. _Some best friend. _Buffy thought angrily.

Conversation had been pleasant but fleeting, so Angel decided maybe it was time for something different. Holding out his hand, he raised the question, "Do you want to dance?"

She hesitated for a second before answering, "Sure." Taking his hand, they walked out to the dance floor.

Angel kept her hand in his and moved the other to the small of her back. They swayed slowly, letting the music flow over them. Shortly one song was over, and someone came up on stage to announce the next band.

"Next up," the announcer broadcasted, "is Dingoes Ate My Baby with special guest singer, Spike."

_Spike? What kind of name is Spike?_ Buffy wondered.Her back was to the stage, so she didn't see him walk out. Angel was too wrapped up in Buffy, so he didn't see him either. But they both heard him.

The sound of a solo guitar filled the room followed by his voice. "Are we done for now, or is this for good? Will there be something in time? With us there should. Only girl for me is you, there can be no other one. If I didn't have faith I would come undone."

The dancing couple stopped and turned toward the stage. Realization washing over his features, Angel asked, "Is that…?"

"Will," she finished for him. Will was up on stage singing a song for her. To her. Only to her.

His soothing voice continued, "So much promise in your eyes, seems that I can only see. It always makes me wonder if you save it all for me. Maybe you do. Maybe you don't. Maybe you should. Probably won't. 'Cause there will be…"

At that moment, Will's eyes found hers and locked with them. Everyone else fell away, and he sang words that shattered her heart into a million pieces. "There will be other guys who will whisper in your ear. Say they'll take away your sadness and your fear. They may be kind and true, they may be good for you. But they'll never care for you more than I do."

Buffy shut down, eyes welling up with tears, but she willed herself to calm down and listen to the rest of the song. This was important.

Will's words soon reassured her, "I'll be always there, there to the end. I can't do much but be your one true friend. To the end, through the end. Our lives to spend with each other till the end, of time…"

He lowered his head as Oz played a short guitar solo. Once it was time for his part again, he lifted his gaze back up to meet hers, never breaking the thrall. Sadly, he sang the last verse. "Still see the promise in your eyes and still wonder if it's for me, but I know it's still there even when you sleep. So I say, good night sweet girl."

The song ended, and he hopped off the stage. Eyes never leaving the ground, he quickly moved to the exit.

Leaving Angel behind, Buffy ran after Will out of the club and into the rain.

-TBC-

---

A/n: What'd you think? Last chapter should be up next Saturday and the epilogue the Saturday after that. If I stay on schedule, that is. And if the Angel finale doesn't kill me ;/ So, what are you waiting for? Review!


	19. Burgandy

TITLE: Burgandy

AUTHOR: Ben Is Glory

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: B/S

DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to Joss, creator of all things good. Common Rotation for the title, and the song lyrics after the story.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I'm still alive after the A:tS finale, barely. Here's the final chapter of Burgandy. ::sniff:: Make sure to read the lyrics for Burgandy after the story, and to read the final author's note. Other than that, enjoy!

FEEDBACK: It's the end, you HAVE to give me feedback. You just have to.

---

"Will! Wait!" Buffy hurried after him, raining pouring down.

Still walking quickly, he called over his shoulder, "Guess you caught the show, eh? Weren't too busy fawning over Brood-boy?"

"I was not fawning!"

He stopped and spun around, hair and shirt sticking to him. "Oh, come off it." After waiting a second to glare at her, he started to walk away again.

"Listen, Will, you have to wait," she pleaded.

Slowing his pace, he asked, "Oh, I do, do I? Why's that?"

"Because there's something you need to hear."

"Are you sure you haven't said it to me before? Oh, right, you've been too busy forgetting I exist. My bloody mistake."

"It was beautiful," she whispered.

This got his attention, and he turned to face her. "What?"

She hung her head and confessed, "The song. It was beautiful."

"Don't need your pity, Summers," he told her coldly.

Shaking with frustration, she screamed, "It is _not_ pity! God! Why do you have to be so… shirty?"

"Shirty?" His voice carried an air of amusement, and a small smile played on his lips.

"Yes! You are being shirty!" Her finger poked him in the chest, supporting her point.

His features changed into an annoyed look. "You really are off your bird." He moved away from her and stomped off, water sloshing everywhere.

Chasing him, she cried, "I'm sorry, okay?"

Once more, he paused. "What?"

"I said I'm sorry."

"Well thanks for saying it now," came the grumbled reply, anger welling up again.

"I know that's not what you want to hear," she stated sadly.

"Sodding hell, of course it's not what I want to hear."

She reached out to him. "Just let me explain."

He tilted his head, waiting for her to continue. Seconds ticked by, and she remained silent. "I haven't got forever, Buff."

Tears mixing with rain drops, she admitted, "I whigged, okay? She… my mom was… she was all I had, you know? And when she died, I had no one to go to, no one to talk to. I had to take care of Dawn, and I had nobody to take care of me. I couldn't deal."

Hands on his chest, he explained, "You had _me_, Buffy! You had me to take care of you!"

Shaking her head, "No. I can do it on my own. I _did_ do it on my own."

He began brushing tears away with the pads of his fingers. "But you don't _need_ to, love. You have to let me in."

"I did. I let you in, and all I could think about was her. I let her down." A sob escaped.

"By being with me."

She nodded.

"Don't you think she'd want you to be happy?" he inquired sincerely.

Swallowing, she said, "Yeah."

"'Course she would. Don't I make you happy?" He tucked a piece of dripping hair behind her ear.

Another nod.

"You're young, pet, and you're 'sposed to make mistakes. But I don't think we're one."

She looked him straight in the eye. "I don't think we're a mistake, either."

Grinning, he agreed. "Damn right." Dropping his voice, he wondered, "You really thought the song was beautiful?"

The question was affirmed with a smile. "Tell me one thing: what's with the name 'Spike'?"

His face flushed at the mention of his alias. "Well…"

Deciding it didn't matter, she crushed her mouth against his. Oh yes, she didn't plan to find love. She didn't have to. Love found her.

-THE END-

---

__

Well Ann she bought me a bottle of wine, it was a sultry 93 burgandy   
She never minded to dine, on me   
We stare across the sad cafes like we're waiting on an accident.   
When what we think to say makes less sense   
And I'm waiting on the drinks to bring me consent.   
Cause lately this is just the way it has been, the way it shall be   
Two tables down an old wise man shoots a grin,   
You can tell he's happy, happy for me

Hang down your head just like Tom Dooley,  
Poor boy, you know you never once fooled me.   
You put your trust in the thought that grace was on your side   
It's such a beautiful day to die.

Well I guess it was thoughtful, after all it had just passed my birthday.   
Bring us another round, one for me and the lady   
Though she ain't my baby.   
No more dessert coffee, I won't put up another drink.   
Madam please show us the check but don't leave us here to think.   
Cause nothing was to move me, at least nothing that was said.   
But what was most delicately touching was that she recalled   
That I preferred it red.

Hang down your head just like Tom Dooley,  
Poor boy, you know you never once fooled me.   
You put your trust in the thought that grace was on your side   
It's such a beautiful day to die.

So we hit the nearest exit, I saddled up the car   
She leans through my window says I don't like you driving:   
I said now please baby please you know that it's not that far.   
I drive home to the latest pretty face she's all curled up on the couch   
The weary whisper How was it? "It was fine."   
But she'll never know what the truth is all about.   
Lying next to the pretty ones, sometimes it's the only place to go   
You fumble around for the old kitchen corkscrew and you break that seal,   
Cause it's all you know.

Hang down your head just like Tom Dooley,  
Poor boy, you know you never once fooled me.   
You put your trust in the thought that grace was on your side   
It's such a beautiful day to die.

Poor boy, it's too late to run and hide.

Poor boy, it's too late to run and hide.

Poor boy, it's too late to run and hide.

Poor boy, it's too late to run and hide.

It's such a beautiful day to die, such a beautiful day to die.

---

A/n: So that's that. The final chapter of Burgandy. Thank you so much for joining me on this little journey. I can honestly say that I'll miss this story a lot. Sequel? Maybe. Companion piece? Definitely, so watch out for that next weekend. Thank you for all the encouragement and feedback. I hope EVERYBODY that reads this will send me one final review, that would be awesome. Thanks again, guys. Love, Jordan.


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